Serena's Sister
by Allison Illuminated
Summary: Amourshipping! After waking up in the Pokemon world, Erin finds herself surrounded by the characters of her favorite anime. The catch? Once her journey starts, the course of the Pokemon world will change forever. Rewrite of the XY and XYZ animes. Rated T for darker themes.
1. Beginnings

Chapter One: Beginnings

 **[A/N] This is my first time doing something like this! I will try to put out a new chapter once a week, but I don't really know yet. Hope you like it!**

 **[Edit 8.23.16] Wow. This story is already more than half a year old. This chapter is now a bit longer and a lot better. To any and all new readers, please remember that while writing this story, I have been getting progressively better at writing. If you give it a chance and get past the first 8 or so chapters, the story gets dramatically more interesting, I swear. More at the bottom. (Note: I don't own Pokemon!)**

 **Erin's Perspective – Vainville Town**

The shadow lifted from the window, and for the first time since dusk, light once again filtered into the room. Cutting through the slightly dusty air, past pink furniture and hangings, it beamed down on the face of a sixteen year old who, to that point, had been softly sleeping.

Erin woke up slowly. Something was weighing down on her, making it hard to think. Shaking her head, she groggily opened her eyes to the sight of stars.

 _Wait a second. I don't have stars on my ceiling._

As the realization cut across her clouded thoughts, she sat straight up. Her head hurt, and the world span around her as a wave of nausea overtook her. _Where am I?_ As her head began to clear, she realized that she had no recollection of this room, or even going to bed, for that matter. She remembered math class. She had sat down at her desk and they had learned… about what?

 _I must have fainted,_ Erin decided. _This… this is a hospital, or something…_ _Tentatively_ convincing herself she must be right, she took a long look around the room. The bed she was in was made of some soft plush material, softer than any thing she had ever had at home. It was also bright pink. For that matter, basically the entire room she was sitting was a horrendous hot pink, a color Erin despised. She adored soft grays and the likes, always wearing her gray hoodie at home. Nevertheless, she didn't recognize her surroundings.

 _Something isn't right here._

A low tweet caught her attention, and she spun around in surprise. As she did so, a tiny bird flew into her chest, knocking her backwards in surprise. Staring at the red bird on her chest, Erin did the only logical thing someone in her situation could do.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Erin knocked the bird off with her hand and sat back up. _That can't be what I thought it was. No. It's impossible. Something is seriously wrong right now._ She looked wildly around the room until she came face to face with a girl staring at her across the room. Her jaw dropped.

To say that Erin was a Pokemon nerd was an understatement. She, along with her friend, had successfully binged the entire anime. However, more than any of the other series, they had fallen in love with X and Y. So obviously, she was beyond shocked to find herself face to face with her favorite character, Serena. "What the fuck is happening?" she questioned, not entirely sure who she was talking to.

Serena seemed to be equally shocked to find a stranger in the bed across from her. For a second, she sat doing nothing, then yelled, "Who the hell are you, and why are you in my room?"

 _This isn't possible,_ Erin decided. _It just isn't possible._ "My name is Erin. How did I get here?"

Serena shrugged. "I could ask you the same! MOM!"

She stood up, and Erin realized something. She was in the Pokemon world! She didn't know how, but she was sitting there, talking to her favorite character in her favorite show. _How crazy is this?_

A yell comes from downstairs. "Serena? Erin? Is everything OK up there?" It was Grace, Serena's mom. And she knew Erin's name. "I'm coming up." She walked up the stairs and entered the room. The two girls started shouting at the same time.

"Why is there another girl in my room? And do you always have send Fletchling to wake me up?"

"How do you know my name?"

"What in the name of Arceus are you two talking about? You're sisters! You too are crazy this morning." Grace turned around and went back down the stairs, and Serena and Erin just sat there, staring at each other in confusion and shock.

 **Later**

They ate breakfast in silence. Erin stared into her buttered toast, and her mind ran with confusion. Grace was chatting along, with her Fletchling on her arm, but Serena was silent as well. She had just stopped paying attention when Grace spoke to them. "Now, I think that it's high time that you two go outside and practice on Rhyhorn."

Serena started whining. "Mom, do I have to?"

"Yes, now how many times do I have to tell you."

They stood up and headed outside, Erin in confusion, and Serena fuming. Once they reached the backyard, Serena stopped and called out to a rocky gray Pokemon. "Hi Rhyhorn!" She kept dragging her and they ducked behind a bush. It wasn't until they got back there that Erin got a good look at her for the first time. She had long, honey hair, falling in bunches around her head. She had a murderous look on her face, too, but Erin didn't notice that until she slammed her into the ground. She cried out as her face scratched against the ground.

"Who are you, and why does mom keep calling you my sister?" She was mad, madder than Erin had ever seen her on the show.

"I have no idea. One minute I was in math class, and the next minute I'm in a bed across the room from you," she said, completely truthfully.

"What? That makes no sense."

"I know!"

"Well, you aren't my sister."

"I know that!" Erin yelled. Suddenly, the impossibility of our situation dawned on her. "Hey, if you really are Serena, can you show me your Pokemon?"

Serena stared at her, truly confused now. "Of course I'm Serena, and I don't have any Pokemon."

Then it dawned on Erin. The X and Y anime series were her favorite, but the episodes she liked the best were always the ones where Serena played a major role, and everything happening reminded her of a few in particular. In the first couple episodes, she got woken up by her mom's Fletchling, and then is sent out to ride her Rhyhorn. A series of events exactly like this one.

 _I am inside of the anime._

"Serena," Erin said slowly. "We need to go inside and watch the news. Now." _She thinks I am bonkers._ "Look, I can explain all of this, but you just have to trust me on this one." she lead her back inside.

Grace took one look at her and cried, "Oh, Erin, look at your face." She took a wet washcloth and dabbed it over the scratches that Serena gave Erin when she shoved her. "Rhyhorn must have really thrown you." Erin looked over at Serena pouting. _I don't remember he_ _r_ _being this immature,_ she thought to herself. _I guess I must not remember a lot of things about the show._

Erin's thoughts were silenced as the news came on.

"And now breaking news from Lumiose City! A Garchomp seems to have climbed up the Prism tower, and a trainer has followed him up. He removed an implement that seems to have been hurting Garchomp when his Pikachu fell of the tower. This heroic trainer actually jumped off after him, caught him, and was swept away by a mysterious Pokemon! We come to him now for his comments."

Erin tuned out of the program, and instead watched Serena's reaction. It was like a light had turned on in her eyes. In that moment, Erin realized exactly what she was going to do.

 _She's going to go and meet Ash. They're going to travel together. And I'm going to be there right along side them._

Serena turned to her mom, all thoughts of the day washed away. She took a deep sigh and squared her shoulders. "Mom," she said, "I'm going out."

Grace looked at her. "To where?"

"I'm going to go and get my first Pokemon, in Lumiose City."

"Okay."

"Okay? So I can really go?" Serena's eyes filled up.

"Yes, but you have to bring Erin."

"What?" Serena looked over at Erin and glared. She shrugged.

Serena looked like she was gearing up for a fight, but Erin interjected. "That's okay, I'll be fine going with Serena." Serena shot her daggers, but was silent, seeing that she was getting what she wanted.

 **Later**

Erin sat downstairs while Serena went back up and changed into her traveling clothes. She noticed a small yellow bag sitting on the table. She stifled a gasp. It was her purse!

 _How weird is this? I get somehow transported here, and my purse comes along for the ride._

She grabbed it and she looked inside. It had her journal, along with some of her school stuff. She tossed her textbooks to the side. She wouldn't need it now, she figured. Eagerly, she grasped at a clasp holding shut the pocket that held her two most valuable possessions in her purse; her iPhone and her Pokemon Go bracelet.

Erin pulled the iPhone out first. As she grasped it, it changed, merging into a shiny Poketch. "Awesome," she murmured as she strapped it to her wrist.

Next she grabbed the bracelet. As she touched it, it changed into a ball, red on one half and white on the other. Erin gasped. _Does it have a Pokemon inside?_

She stood up, clutching the pokeball in one hand. "Pokemon, I choose you!" She threw it, and it hit the floor and bounced open, revealing… nothing.

"Aww," she whined. "It's just an empty pokeball." She put it back in the bag and exited the house to wait for Serena.

Serena came bouncing out of the house a minute later. "Bye mom!"

Grace called after her. "Make sure to practice your Rhyhorn racing!"

"I won't!" Serena started running down the path, and Erin jogged after her to keep up.

"Look," Erin said once they were out of the view of the house. "I know we got of on the wrong foot, but can we at least try to be civil to one another?"

"OK, I guess. I just don't understand anything that's happened this morning." She shook her head.

"Well, then let me formally introduce myself. My name is Erin, and I have no idea what is happening either." She cracked a wide grin.

"Well, my name is Serena, and I'm glad you feel the same way."

The two girls stared at each other silently, before started to giggle. "Well, it is nice to meet you," Erin said, breaking the silence. She stuck out her hand, and Serena took it. "I look forwards to traveling with you."

 **[A/N] That's it for chapter one. Erin and Serena will go on to meet a ton of people, some good, some bad, some mysterious. They'll win (and lose) some battles, and overall take a fantastic journey.**

 **New readers, I hope you give me a chance on this story. Either way, read, review, and peace. I respond to any and all reviews. Pokefan87, signing out.**


	2. Getting Started

Chapter Two: Getting Started

 **[A/N] Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my first chapter! I really appreciate it!(Note: I still don't own Pokemon)**

 **[Edit One – 11-12-16] There was a fair bit of information in this chapter that I had to tweak a bit from the original to make it consistent with the original. One of these scenes was also particularly unrealistic in the original. Detail is important, too. I want to revise all of my earlier chapters (up until Cyllage City), but it might take me a while, so don't wait on it**

 **Route One**

It took Erin a moment to realize that she had no idea where they were going.

The two of them were walking down the beautiful route one path. The air was bright and alive in the Kalos region, and Erin was in awe of all of the Pokemon around her. In the back of her mind, she still felt like she was in math class, taking Calculus. Boy, was she glad that she wasn't there right now.

She shot a glance at the blonde haired girl walking along side her, still not fully believing that she was really there. "So..." she tentatively asked, "How are we getting to Lumiose City?"

Serena frowned. "Well, I don't know. It would suck if we had to walk the whole way there, wouldn't it? That would take days!"

Erin shrugged. "I have no clue where I'm going. You're in charge."

She looked thoughtful for a moment before her eyes widened. "Wait, I know! There's a bus in Aquacorde Town. We can take that!"

"Great." Erin faded away from the conversation as she hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. Taking a moment to absorb the scenery, she gasped as they passed a white and pink cow Pokemon. "Wow! That's a Miltank, right? That's so cool!" She rushed over and started to pet it.

"Miltank Mil!"

Serena stopped and raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't actually expect me to believe that you've never seen a Miltank before, do you? You never went to a farm in grade school?"

Erin shrugged, unable to wipe a grin off of her face. "I guess I've never seen one in person."

"Where did you say you were from again? Before you ended up here?" Erin tried to keep walking, but Serena got in front of her and planted her hands on her hips.

She gulped, then decided that it was easier to lie than to explain. "I'm from Kanto."

Serena's eyes lit up. "Really? That's far away!"

Erin smiled, then realized something.

 _I may never get back home._

Her smile turned into a frown. Serena seemed to notice, but she let the conversation lapse into silence. She gripped her pokeball inside of her bag, rolling the smooth metal around with her fingers.

 _Well, I'm here, and if this really isn't a dream, then I should make the best of it, right._

She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice as the shadow of a Pokemon flew by overhead.

 **Aquacorde Town**

Erin ran up to the bus stop just as one was pulling in. "Hey, wait for us!" she called.

The bus driver looked down at her and Serena. "No problem! Just hop on! We're on a direct route to Lumiose City!"

"That's great! Thank you very much," Serena said. "Come on, let's go!"

The duo ran onto the bus, and Erin slid into the window seat of the first row. Serena elbowed her as she settled down at her side, and Erin moved over as far as she could. The bus started to rev its engines, then sped out of the station. Erin pressed her face to the window as the countryside sped by. _This is so amazing! It's hard to believe that it's really happening._

"Erin?"

"Huh?" She peeled her eyes away from the window and looked at Serena. "What is it?"

The other girl seemed thoughtful. "Are you going to get a Pokemon too?" she asked, "When we get to Professor Sycamore's lab?"

Erin stopped and thought about it. "I guess I don't really know. I have no idea what I'm going to do."

Serena sighed, staring past Erin out the window. "I'm going to get Fennekin, but… I don't know what I'll do after that."

"Hey, I know!" Erin said excitedly.

"What?" Serena asked, looking at her.

"We could travel together! It'll be a lot of fun!" Erin hadn't realized it before right then, but she really wanted to travel with Serena.

"Sure!" Serena said happily. "I would be glad to have company. But… I have two conditions."

"Um… okay. Shoot," Erin nervously said.

"First… well, you see, there's this boy..." Serena mumbled, and a rosy red blush came to her cheeks.

 _She means Ash!_ Erin realized, grinning internally. "Of course."

"Oh, well, cool!" She watched her give a sigh of relief. "Second, you have to tell me how you really got here sometime."

"Sure." Erin promised to herself that she would tell Serena everything… someday.

"Okay, then it's a deal!"

The two of them shook on it, when all of a sudden, the bus shook.

The air outside seemed to pressurize as some massive Pokemon swooped down from overhead. The trees outside blew back, and the bus driver gripped the bar overhead to steady himself. "Everybody okay back there?"

"Salamance, use hyper beam!"

The back of the bus exploded and stopped in its tracks as a purple beam of light shot into it. The dark energy ripped through the seats and out the other side, clearly cutting the back off. Fortunately, all of the passengers seemed to be towards the front, which skidded wildly before being thrown to one side at the edge of the road.

Erin screamed as Serena's full weight collapsed on top of her and her head slammed into the window, which was now pressed against soft grass. The world was spinning as adrenaline took over, and she screamed to Serena, "We have to get out of here!"

She got to her feet and helped Serena up as the Salamance took a second pass, swooping down low from overhead. They clambered through the seats and through the twisted metal that formed a vanguard for the decimated rear end. Erin stumbled to her feet as she got her first good look at a Salamance. It was massive, nearly half as wide as the road and longer than the bus. Blue scales formed an intricate lattice on its hide, and red spikes protruded throughout.

She was so entranced by its power that she almost didn't notice as it shot another hyper beam directly at her. She dove to one side, landing on her scrapes from her earlier scuffle with Serena. Wincing as she rose, she backed towards the woods as the pseudo legendary rose back into the air.

"Go!" the bus driver yelled, "I can deal with this! Go Aggron!" A huge metal Pokemon appeared and gave a wild roar.

"Serena, run!" Erin cried as route four erupted into the heat of battle. Beams of light were shooting in every direction as she made a mad dash for the ancient conifers that lined the side of the road.

"I'm running!"

They dashed off into the woods in the direction of Lumiose city. While it seemed like they had gotten away relatively easily, they were completely unaware of the hidden danger that they had just faced and what it would mean for their futures.

 **Somewhere in the Forest**

"Serena?"

"What?"

"I think that we're lost," Erin said, sighing. They had been walking around for what seemed like hours.

Serena sighed, visibly drooping. "Aww, I'll never get my first Pokemon now..." She looked over at Erin, then noticed a red corner sticking out from under her sleeve. "Wait, is that a Poketch?"

"Yeah, it is," Erin said, embarrassed. "I had totally forgotten that I had it. I found it in my purse, which was on your table."

"Well, we can just use it, silly! It has a built-in GPS! I wanted one for my birthday, but mom gave me some ugly hat instead." Serena started to pout, and Erin sighed. "Well, let's see if it works!"

Erin switched it on, and a metallic voice came to life. WELCOME. I AM DEXTER, AND I AM THE VERY NEWEST IN POKETCH TECHNOLOGY. I CONTAIN A FULL POKEDEX, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE FUNCTIONS OF YOUR AVERAGE POKETCH. WHAT MAY I DO FOR YOU?

"Whoa, it's a Pokedex also?" Erin gasped. "Uh, can you show us how to get to Lumiose City from here?"

YES, Dexter said, IF YOU TRAVEL TO THE NORTHEAST FROM THIS EXACT POINT, YOU WILL REACH LUMIOSE CITY IN EXACTLY 30 MINUTES.

"Okay, thanks Dexter," Erin said, pulling her sleeve back over the watch.

"That's so cool!" Serena yelled. "I wish that I had one." She turned and started walking. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

She started to run, and Erin called "Hey, wait up!" and chased after her. The verdant woods rose around them, filtering light down in a dapple covering of the leafy floor. Flying types soared through the foliage, and a Morelull leaped out of the way as the girls dashed past. All of a sudden, her foot caught on a root on the forest floor. She fell and hit the ground hard again, groaning as a fresh wave of pain shot through her side.

"Erin!" Serena called, "Are you okay?"

"Ow. That's the third time I've fallen today..." Erin whined. She started to get up, then noticed a round object, lodged deep underneath of a nearby log. "Wait a second. I think I see something." She crawled over to the log and pulled out the object from underneath it, then gasped at what she saw. "Is that… a Pokemon egg? Yes, it is!"

The egg was quite large, with red, blue, and beige stripes. Erin had to use to arms to support it as she slipped it into her backpack.

"Wow!" Serena said. "I've never seen a Pokemon egg before."

"I wonder why it was here," Erin said thoughtfully. "I bet that Professor Sycamore will know when we get to his lab."

"Yeah, we should get going. Just make sure not to trip again, okay?"

The two girls walked off towards Lumiose City. They passed through clearings and trees until they finally came across a rise looking down on Lumiose City. Prism Tower sparkled in the midday sun, shining down over the huge city. Streets broke off away from it in all directions, and the city was bustling with life. Serena pointed at a large building with an attached greenhouse close by. "That's the professor's lab, right over there! Let's go!"

 **Professor Sycamore's Lab**

Erin watched as Serena tentatively pushed the door open. "Hello," she called, "Is Professor Sycamore around?"

Erin stepped in behind her as a young man with tousled hair in a lab coat came up to them from a flight of stairs. The lab was painted a beautiful mixture of blue and reds, with thick carpeting and bookshelves that lined the walls in every direction. Compared to all of that, Sycamore stuck out like a sore thumb. "That's me. I'm up here!" he called.

"Huh?" Serena turned around. "Hello there! I'm Serena."

"And I'm Erin."

"Well," Professor Sycamore said, "I'll bet you two are here to become Pokemon trainers."

"Yeah," Serena said. She seemed uncertain for a moment, then steeled her resolve and said, "Also, Professor, I saw this trainer on the news. The report was all about how he had saved a Garchomp."

"Oh, you're talking about Ash." Serena's eyes lit up, and Erin smiled. "I'm afraid that he already left, and he said that he was going to challenge the Santalune gym. He's a fine young man. I presented him with a Froaky myself."

"Oh, wow. Thank you," Serena said with a grin. "Professor, may I choose a Pokemon?"

"Of course!" Sycamore said. "Do you have any idea which Pokemon you'd like? It's okay if you don't, because you're going to get to see all of them. Alright, everybody out!"

Three Pokemon spilled out of a nearby alcove. One had a bunch of green spikes on its head, one looked like a frog, and the last one like a fox. Erin grinned in delight as she watched the Pokemon frolic around in circled, yet somehow instantly knew deep inside of her conscience that none of them were for her.

"These are the three Pokemon new trainers in Kalos may choose as a starter," Sycamore said gesturing over each one. "They are Chespin, Froaky, and Fennekin. Which one will you choose as your starter? Before you make your decision, this is your Pokedex." The professor handed a red square to Serena, but Erin had withdrawn to a position behind the staircase. All of a sudden, she was afraid that if she interfered in any way, she might change Serena's decision. However, the lure of the starter Pokemon drew her forewards.

"Thank you very much, professor," Serena said. The Pokedex blinked once, the turned on. "Ah, it's on!"

"You can use that to scan the Pokemon. Erin, I suppose that you'll be needing to get a Pokedex as well. I normally would have had two, but your visit was registered under Grace, so I forgot I would be seeing sisters."

Serena stepped forewards to try to say something, but Erin cut her off. "Professor, it's fine. I already have this." She held out her Poketch, which beeped on.

HELLO. MY NAME IS DEXTER. I AM A CUSTOM POKEDEX PRODUCED FOR ERIN BY STATIC. ERIN CURRENTLY HAS ONE POKEMON IN HER PARTY. MY SCANNERS WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY IT IN ITS CURRENT STATE, HOWEVER.

She stared at her watch, surprised, as a million questions spiraled through her head. _Does it mean the egg? Why on earth would it have static-ed out the creator's name on this watch? Who created it, anyways?_

"Well, then. I supposed you don't need a starter today. I would like to take a look at that mysterious Pokemon that it mentioned, though." He turned to Serena. "Now, it's time for you to pick your starter. Have you decided which one you want?"

Serena looked at each one of the Pokemon in turn. "They're all so cute, but I already decided which one I wanted before I left the house." She knelt down in front of the fox Pokemon. "Fennekin, I pick you! I'm Serena!" Erin give the tiniest of sighs in relief as she smiled at the Pokemon.

Fennekin looked up at her, then said "Fenne!" in agreement.

"Wonderful!" Sycamore said. "Now let's take a look at that mysterious Pokemon of yours over some tea, now shall we?"

 **The Professor's Lounge**

"Okay," said Sycamore, "So let me get this straight. A Salamance attacked your bus, so you two ran off into the woods, when Erin found this egg."

"Yeah!" Erin said. "It was really weird, it just attacked. We don't know why. Professor, do you know anything about this?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Can you at least give me some advice with this egg, though?" Erin looked at him expectantly.

"Let me see..." The professor rummaged through a box of stuff and pulled out a round container. "Aha! I knew I still had it in here somewhere. This is a portable incubator! You can put the egg in here."

Erin took the incubator from the professor. "Thank you very much!" she said. She carefully lifted the egg out of her backpack, placed it into the incubator, and zipped it back in.

"Make sure you take care now, okay?"

"Of course," Serena jumped in, "We're off to Santalune city now! Bye Professor!"

"Come back some time, both of you!"

"We will!"

With that, our two heroes set off for Santalune city, with an egg and Fennekin in tow.


	3. A New Friendship is Hatched!

Chapter Three: A New Friendship is Hatched!

 **[A/N] Here we go! I honestly didn't expect to get this many chapters out so fast. I probably won't publish as often after this one, but you never really know. Also, a big shout-out to Fenrir's Phantom for reviewing! So, without further ado, her we go! (Note: I don't own Pokemon, so stop asking)**

 **Route Four**

Route four was a wreck. The road was scarred, pitted with deep gashes and rubble. The wreckage of the bus had been knocked over on it's side, and it looked like a bomb had hit it. The scene was surrounded by the police and ambulances. Erin gritted her teeth at the scene. _This is so awful._

"Did just two Pokemon really do all of this?" Serena whispered. "I had no idea. We were lucky to get away so fast."

"Yeah," Erin murmured. She noticed a man sobbing off to the side, surrounded by policemen. "Hey, is that the bus driver?"

"Yeah, it is! I wonder what's wrong." Serena dashed over to the man's side, and Erin hurriedly followed.

The man was laying on the ground. His face was covered in dirt and bruises. "My-My Aggron! She took it!" he sobbed.

"Sir, you need to calm down." Serena and Erin looked up. It was officer Jenny! "Now, can you tell us anything about this woman. What did she look like? How did she take your Pokemon?"

"I-I don't know," the man cried. "She had some sort of device, and it turned my Aggron into stone."

Erin decided to jump in. "Officer Jenny, this woman had a Salamance, and it used Hyper Beam on the bus." She shied back nervously as Jenny turned to them.

"Who are you, and what do you know about this? How do I know you aren't in league with her? So, what do you know?" At this point, she was up and in their faces.

Erin sweatdropped. "No, no, nothing like that! We were on the bus when it attacked, on our way to get Serena's starter Pokemon. We ran off into the woods."

"Oh yeah? Well, who's Serena?"

Serena had been nervously listening to the whole conversation when she jumped in. "Um, officer, that's me. Look, Erin is telling the truth! See, I got a Fennekin yesterday." She reached for the pokeball on her belt. "Come on out, Fennekin!"

The red fox Pokemon came out and jumped into Serena's arms. "Kin!" it said happily.

Officer Jenny smiled. "Oh, okay. I guess I judged you too soon," she said, embarrassed. She drooped, sighing. "I guess the Pokemon thief is really gone, then."

"We'll let you know if we see anything!" Erin called. She and Serena started to walk away from the wreckage, scared of what they had just seen.

After the two of them had gotten a fair distance from the wreckage, Erin sighed. "I wonder who that Pokemon thief was. She's probably still out there! We have to be careful."

"Yeah. What if she comes back and takes Fennekin!" Serena clenched her fists, and Erin watched her tense up.

Fennekin looked up at Serena. "Fenne fen kin!"

"Serena," Erin called, "Fennekin's right. We can't worry about this now. Come on, there's a Pokemon Center up the road ahead. We can stay there tonight and go to Santalune city in the morning."

"Okay," Serena said, sighing.

 **Later, at the Pokemon Center**

Erin stared out over the forested landscape. The star-swept sky lit the night with a soft aura, broken only by the yellow glow of the light of the street below. _This is incredible._ _I've never seen so many stars in one place._ She sighed, propping up her head with her arm. Her legs swung down off of the balcony.

"Erin?" She turned to see Serena, dressed in her nightclothes. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. It's just…" Erin turned back to the glow of the night sky as it lit up her eyes. "Back home… there were never this many stars."

"Yeah, isn't it amazing?" Serena walked over and sat down next to her. Fennekin walked over and curled up into a ball on her lap. "My mom always used to say that each star had a different Pokemon in it. Sometimes, I just can't help but to wonder if that's true."

Erin didn't respond, but the two girls sat there for a long time, staring of into the night sky.

 **Santalune City**

"Alright, now Professor Sycamore said that Ash would be challenging the Santalune Gym, right?" Serena said.

"Yeah, so we should go there first," Erin said. "Come on, it's this way!"

The two of them dashed off through the city streets. Eventually, they came across a giant greenhouse. Slowly, the two of them walked through a set of double doors and came across the battlefield. Erin gasped. _I've seen this before, in the anime!_

She looked over at Serena, who only had eyes for the young boy standing in front of them. He had a red cap and a blue jacket, and an injured Pikachu was laying beside him.

"Can I help you?" a voice came from Erin's right. She looked up to see a woman with a small yellow Pokemon on her shoulder, as well as a boy with glasses and a young girl with a ponytail. _Wow, it really is all of the characters from the anime. This is so cool!_

Serena answered her. "We were wondering if it would be okay if we watched them battle."

"Yes, of course," the woman said. "You can stand over here with us."

"Thank you!" Erin said, still partially in awe. However, her attention was diverted as the action resumed on the battlefield below.

"Okay, use peck!" yelled Ash. The small bird hovering in front of him flew up, then dove at what looked like a pond skater. It dodged, then retaliated with an ice beam. The bird dodged that as well.

"Awesome!" Serena said.

"Go for it, Fletchling," the young girl standing next to Serena yelled.

"Okay, now use sticky web, Surskit!" the gym leader yelled.

"Double team!"

Surskit shot of lots of little pink pellets just as Fletchling appear to duplicate, and they knocked the illusions out one at a time before crashing into the ceiling. It then shot a powerful wind gust down at Surskit. The battlefield blossomed with a massive explosion to reveal Surskit knocked out.

"All right!" everybody yelled.

"Surskit is unable to battle. Fletchling wins!"

"Wow!" Serena said to Erin, "Isn't he strong?"

All of a sudden, Erin felt very determined. _So this is what battling is really like! Once I get a Pokemon, I have to battle Ash!_ "Yeah," she replied, somewhat distantly.

"Both sides have one Pokemon left," the boy with glasses said. "Ash just might win this."

"Let's do this!" the gym leader said. "Vivillon!" A beautiful butterfly with pink wings appeared.

"Dexter, what's that?" Erin asked, pointing her watch at the Pokemon. A hologram appeared above its surface with a picture of the Pokemon. VIVILLON, THE SCALE POKEMON. VIVILLON ARE SKILLFULLY ABLE TO FIND A SOURCE OF WATER. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT YOU FIND A SPRING IF YOU FOLLOW A VIVILLON.

"Cool," Serena murmured.

"Okay, Fletchling, use peck!" Ash yelled. The red bird dove at the Vivillon, but it was caught in a powerful psychic and was flung to the ground.

"Now, Vivillon, use Gust!" the gym leader cried. Fletchling was caught in a powerful wind and was thrown backwards into one of the sticky webs coating the wall. Erin gasped in horror, despite the fact that she already knew what was coming.

"Now, use Solar beam!" Vivillon launched a powerful beam of energy at Fletchling, and the small bird fell to the ground in defeat.

Ash stared at his Pokemon, then gathered it up and headed to the Pokemon center. He and his friends left in a hurry, leaving Erin and Serena standing on the deserted sidelines.

"Wow, that Ash is really something, isn't he," Serena said.

"Yeah. You should go talk to him," Erin said, winking. "After all, he did leave all of his stuff over there." She pointed to a green backpack lying in the corner. "I'm sure that he'll want it back. I'm going to head back to the Pokemon center and take another look at the egg. You coming?"

"Uh, yeah, sure!" Serena said.

The two of them walked back to the Pokemon center and watched as the group with Ash walked around the back.

"Hey Serena?" Erin said. "You should go and talk to them. I-I want to take a private look at that egg, if you don't mind."

"No problem!" Serena said. "Do whatever you need to."

Erin loosened up, relieved. "Okay, thanks! See you tonight!" She turned around and headed into the forest, looking for somewhere to think

 **A Forest Clearing**

The mossy rock was damp, covered with water after the dawn dew. Erin shifted uncomfortably as she drew the incubator out of her backpack. The egg shifted inside.

"I wonder if this egg is ever going to hatch," she said with a sigh. She was surprised when her watch beeped on. "Wait a second. Dexter, do you know how close this egg is to hatching?"

YES, ERIN. THIS EGG IS IN THE FINAL STAGES OF ITS DEVELOPMENT. IT SHOULD HATCH IF YOU TAKE IT OUT AND PROVIDE IT WITH THE PROPER AMOUNT OF WARMTH.

"Um, okay." She pressed the button to open the incubator, and it hissed as it opened up, allowing the egg inside to spill out onto her lap. She threw her arms over it and covered it with the light jacket that she was wearing. "Will this be enough?"

YES. NOW, CAREFULLY MAKE A SMALL CRACK ON THE TOP OF THE EGG.

Erin looked at the egg quizzically. _This better work._ She raised her fist, and gave a sharp rap to the top of the egg. It shook, then a tiny crack appeared on the top. "Okay, what now?"

WAIT.

The egg stood silent for a while, then all of a sudden it started to shake on it's own accord. A beautiful green glow lit up the forest, and it spread upwards on the egg until it reached the top. The egg glowed brighter and brighter until all of a sudden it stopped.

Erin had covered her face while the egg was hatching, but looked down now that it had stopped.

Sitting on her lap was a miniature dragon. It had a blue body and small wings, and well as a red head. Across its back were a series of small red spikes. Tiredly, it opened its eyes, and let out it's first sounds. "Druddigon?"

"Hi there," Erin said, her breath taken away. "My name is Erin. Who are you?"

"Dru? Druddigon!" the tiny dragon yelped. It uncurled, then started nuzzling its head against Erin's stomach.

"Oh! Hi!" she squealed delightedly. "Dexter, what is it?" She pointed her watch at the newborn Pokemon.

DRUDDIGON, THE CAVE POKEMON. WITH THE SKIN ON ITS FACE HARDER THAN ROCK, DRUDDIGON WARMS ITS BODY BY EXPOSING ITS WINGS TO THE SUN. THIS DRUDDIGON CURRENTLY KNOWS THE MOVES BITE, SCRATCH, AND LEER. IT ALSO HAS THE EGG MOVE FIRE FANG, ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT LEARNED IT YET.

"Wow, amazing!" Erin yelled. She looked down to see Druddigon eying her Poketch hungrily, when its jaw started to glow and it bit down on her hand. She screamed on the top of her lungs, then pried Druddigon off of her arm.

"Hey! My arm is not for you to eat!" she scolded the Pokemon. It looked up at her completely innocently, and her heart softened. "Oh well, you are only just a baby."

She rummaged through her bag until she came across a small spherical object. "Hey Druddigon. I want to become a Pokemon trainer and do awesome stuff! Do you think that you want to came along with me?"

Druddigon looked up at her and nodded. "Druddigon gon!"

"Alright then," Erin said. She pressed the button on the pokeball that she was holding and it grew to full size. "Pokeball, go!" She gently pressed the button to Druddigon's head, and its body dissolved into red light, which was transported inside the ball. It shook once, then twice, then errupted into a shower of sparks.

Erin felt amazing. She had just gotten her first Pokemon, and it was a dragon type at that! She couldn't wait to tell Serena!

 **At the Pokemon Center**

Erin walked into the crowded restaurant. _Now, where could they have gone?_ Her gaze drifted across the densely packed room until she found Serena. _There they are!_ She ran across the room and went up to their table.

"Serena!" she yelled. "You'll never guess what happened!"

Serena spun around on hearing Erin yell. "What? Oh, hi Erin. Come on, there's still some food left."

Ash looked at Erin. "Serena, who's this?"

"This is my traveling companion, Erin. Erin, this is Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont." Serena pointed to each one in turn.

Erin was gearing up to talk when Ash interrupted. "Hang on, wait a second. Aren't you two sisters or something? Yeah, I remember you two from summer camp now. There were always the twin sisters that hung around together."

"What?" Serena exclaimed. "You must be wrong! She's not my sister, and she didn't go to summer camp with us."

"Yeah, I just-" Erin began to say, before stopping herself. _We can't tell them about what happened, they'll never understand._ "I just arrived from Kanto! ( _Blatant lie.)_ I've never seen Serena before three days ago! ( _Another Lie._ )"

"Huh, well that's weird," Ash said with his mouth filled with food. _"_ You look exactly the same."

"We look what!" Erin yelled. "Ash Ketchum, why are you always so dense?"

"Hey," Serena said. "I'm sure he didn't know. Give him a break." Erin watched Serena center herself in between her and Ash.

Ash seemed alarmed by all of this. "Uh, thanks Serena. But, Erin, how do you know my last name?"

Erin's mind went blank. _Uh, I watched you on TV_ _for eight years? No, I can't say that… Oh, I know!_ "Uh, Serena told me about when you two went to camp."

Serena looked at her like she was crazy, but Ash and the others just shrugged. "I guess that makes sense," he said.

Serena shook of her confusion, and looked at Erin. "So, what did you want to show me?"

"Oh yeah! My egg hatched!" Erin dug around in her purse until she came up with the pokeball. "It's in here!"

"That's awesome!" Serena yelled.

"You had a Pokemon egg? That's so cool!" Ash craned his neck, trying to see over Serena.

"Ooh, Ooh, can I see it? Please?" Bonnie was looking at Erin expectantly, and Erin smiled.

"Yes," Clemont said, "That would be fantastic!"

"Of course!" Erin said. She threw the pokeball into the air. "Come on out, Druddigon!"

A red flash appeared, and the young cave Pokemon appeared on the table. It opened its small wings "Druddigon!" Noticing Erin, its fangs started to glow and he chomped down on Erin's arm.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, and everyone else covered their ears. "Druddigon, how many times will I have to tell you? I am not food!" Everyone else laughed.

"Wow, that egg was a Druddigon egg!" Serena exclaimed.

"That's so cool!" Ash yelled.

"So cute!" Bonnie said. "Can I pet it?"

"Sure!"

Bonnie stroked the tiny dragon's head, and it cracked a toothy smile. "Gon!"

"If I remember correctly, Druddigon is a dragon type. Their eggs are supposed to be quite rare. How did you find one?" Clemont pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose so that the light reflected off of it.

"Well, you see, that's a long story." Erin explained how they had been attacked and how she had found the egg. She was only interrupted by her new Pokemon.

"Druddigon drud!" it said, pointing at the food that was on the table.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Of course you're hungry. Does anyone have any Pokemon food?" Erin looked around the table, and Ash offered her some. "Here you go, Druddigon."

"Why is it so small?" Bonnie asked. "I thought that Druddigon were supposed to be big."

Erin looked down at Druddigon and sighed. The dragon had gone to sleep on top of the table. "Druddigon's only a couple hours old. Of course she's small." Bonnie looked disappointed, but Erin smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'm sure that he'll grow."

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed, "I'm done eating, so let's go train!"

"Okay, lets go!" Serena agreed with a slight blush on her face.

Erin watched Druddigon sleep, the pulled out it's pokeball. With a whoosh, it returned. She stood up and shouldered her stuff. "Guys, I'm going to turn in for the night. I can't wait for your rematch tomorrow, Ash."

"Alright, goodnight," Serena said, waving, before following after Ash.

Erin smiled and shook her head. _Serena has such a crush on him. She'll tell him one of these days._ She turned and headed upstairs to go to sleep.

With that, Erin and her new friend Druddigon turned in after a long day. With Ash's rematch coming up the next day, she felt more certain than before of what she wanted to do.

 _I'm going to challenge the Kalos gyms as well, me and Druddigon together. And someday, we're going to be better than Ash Ketchum. I just know it!_


	4. En Route to Victory!

Chapter Four: En Route to Victory!

 **[A/N] Here we are with another chapter! I hadn't originally planned to, but I ended up writing in a major plot twist into this chapter. Also, next chapter, I plan to bring back a character from earlier in the anime. So, with that said and done, here's chapter four! Please R &R, and I hope you enjoy it. (Note: Do I own Pokemon? Nope.)**

 **Santalune City Gym**

"Go Ash!"

The sidelines of the battlefield at the Santalune gym had started to seem very crowded. Erin, Druddigon, Serena, Fennekin, Bonnie, Clemont, and Alexa had all crammed into a row at the barrier to watch Ash take on Viola again. The air in the room was tense in anticipation for the battle.

Erin looked down at Druddigon. "Now, you be good, or else you're going back in the pokeball, okay?"

The dragon yawned sleepily, then looked up at her and nodded. "Drud druddigon," it replied in agreement.

"Alright! Go Ash!" yelled Bonnie.

"I know you can do it!" Serena yelled. "Right, Fennekin?"

"Kin!"

"Alright," the announcer started, "Each trainer will have the use of two Pokemon, and the battle will be over when one trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue. Only the challenger will be able to substitute Pokemon."

"So Ash," Viola said, narrowing her eyes at him. "My sister tells me that you were out training hard yesterday. I'm looking forwards to this." She thrust her pokeball forwards.

"Yeah," Ash replied, "Me too! Because this time, I'm going to win a badge!" Pikachu at his side mimicked his movements as he pumped his fist.

"My lens is still focused on victory, and nothing can ruin this shot! Go, Surskit!" Viola threw her pokeball, which opened in a flash of red light to reveal Surskit, skating around and ready for battle.

"Time to even the score, right Pikachu?" Ash said as Pikachu jumped onto the battlefield.

The announcer held one of her flags up in the air and brought it down. "Battle begin!"

"Ash and Pikachu, get 'em get 'em get 'em!" Bonnie screamed.

Erin stared at the battle scene in excitement. "Druddigon, aren't you excited?" she asked. "This is going to be us someday!" She looked down at her Pokemon to find that it had fallen fast asleep. "Aww," she whined, "I thought you were going to watch. Oh well, return!" Druddigon disappeared into its pokeball. Her attention quickly went back to the battle, however, as the action began.

"Alright Surskit, use sticky web!" Viola commanded her Pokemon. It shot out several pink pellets, but Pikachu seemingly effortlessly dodged them. He twisted and turned, and they spattered harmlessly on the tree behind him.

"Oh, wow!" Serena exclaimed, "All of that training is really paying off!"

"So that's what he worked on after I went to bed!" Erin said. _Ash trained hard for this battle, and he made sure that all of his Pokemon were prepared for anything. I'll have to remember that._

"Alright Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" The yellow mouse pokemon jumped into the air and let off a massive blast of crackling electricity.

"Surskit, protect!" Viola countered. A green energy sphere appeared around Surskit, and the electricity harmlessly deflected off of it. "Now signal beam, go!" A purple beam of energy shot back at Pikachu, who flipped backwards, dodging it.

"Pikachu, use iron tail!" Pikachu's tail started to glow a brilliant white, before slamming it into Surskit, knocking it backwards towards Viola.

"Nice!" Erin yelled, completely enveloped by the heat of the battle.

"Alright!" Serena shouted, "Ash really nailed it!"

"That's true, but iron tail isn't very effective on Surskit. I wouldn't be surprised if that attack didn't do much damage," Clemont said worriedly.

"Alright, now let's refocus this battle," Viola said, "Surskit, time to use ice beam and create an ice battlefield!" Surskit's antennae started to glow while preparing to use the move.

"Pikachu, don't let Surskit use ice beam!" Ash warned. Pikachu jumped on to Surskit, causing the ice beam to go wild. Unfortunately, Surskit shook Pikachu off, and the battlefield became covered in ice as the white beam crashed down on top of it.

"What?" everybody said at once.

"Wonderful! Another picture perfect ice battlefield! Surskit, start skating!" Viola commanded.

"Oh no!" Bonnie cried, "It's just like the last battle!"

"The only difference is that Ash trained really hard for this battle," Serena said.

Erin watched her fists clench, knuckles whitening, as she watched the battle. _I just hate it when Serena gets worked up like this. It's just, I wonder if maybe there's something I can do to help. Wait, there is!_

She walked over to Serena, and quietly murmured into her ear, "Don't worry."

"Huh?" Serena said, turning to look at her. The others didn't seem to notice.

"Ash is going to win this battle." Erin was deathly calm, almost as if she was disembodied. She was downright terrified that somehow Serena would know that she had seen this before, would figure out that she knew everything that was going to happen to them, but she couldn't help but to smile a little as some of the tension left Serena's face, to be replaced by confusion.

"What? How do you know?" Serena hissed.

"You-you just have to believe me. Pikachu will KO Surskit, then Vivillon will KO Fletchling, then Pikachu will KO Vivillon. See, just watch." She pointed back at the battlefield, where a powerful signal beam and thunderbolt had just met. They clashed with one another, but the thunderbolt pushed through and electrocuted Surskit. It collapsed to the ground with swirls in it's eyes.

They turned back to each other, and Serena's face now held a look of awe. "How is that possible?"

Erin hesitated. "Look, Serena, I-I promise that I'll tell you. Just-not right now, okay? Can we just watch this battle?"

Serena looked like she wanted to argue, but instead she turned back to the battle. "I guess that's three thing you've promised me now," she said. "I'll remember that."

Fletchling and Vivillon now hovered on the field. "Alright, Fletchling, use steel wing!" Fletchling's wings began to glow, and it dove at the butterfly.

"Vivillon, use psychic!" Viola countered. Vivillon's eyes glowed, and it sent Fletchling tumbling to the ground. Fletchling struggled to its feet, then used steel wing again, sending Vivillon flying this time.

"Fletchling, use peck," Ash yelled.

"Vivillon, use gust!" Just as the bird was picking up speed, Vivillon sent a powerful burst of wind, blowing it away.

"Remember our special training!" Ash yelled determinedly. Fletchling regained its balance then started flying into the air. Everyone on the sidelines cheered. "Now, use razor wind!" Fletchling began to spin when Viola played her trump card.

"Vivillon, use sleep powder!"

A light green dust was blown over to Fletchling, settling around it. It cleared, and the Pokemon fell to the ground.

"I had no idea that Vivillon could use sleep powder!" Clemont said.

Bonnie and Alexa looked shocked, but Erin and Serena just stood there, smiling confidently. Erin watched as Ash looked over at them. There was a look of panic and horror on his face. However, once he saw their faces, his molded to fit theirs – determination.

"Fletchling, you can do this!" Ash yelled confidently. "Wake up, buddy! If you use razor wind, you can spin to get the powder off of you!" Fletchling stirred feebly, struggling against the powder. "I believe in you!" he yelled.

All of a sudden, Fletchling started to glow with a brilliant blue light. Its wings seemed to bloat, expanding outwards, and then the rest of its body followed suit. Its tailfeather expanded, becoming two, and a curl of feathers grew out of the back of its head. The blue light exploded, revealing a brand new Pokemon.

Erin gasped. "Did Fletchling just... evolve?" _How is that possible? It never evolved in this episode of the anime! Did I do something!_

"Wow!" Serena gasped. She rummaged in her pocket before drawing out the red square of her Pokedex. "What is that pokemon?"

FLETCHINDER, AND THE EVOLVED FORM OF FLETCHLING. ONCE IN FLIGHT, FLETCHINDER CAN REACH ITS TOP SPEED EXTREMELY QUICKLY, GIVING IT THE EDGE IN BATTLE BY ATTACKING ITS OPPONENTS BEFORE THEY CAN GET PREPARED.

"Awesome Fletchinder! You evolved!" Ash yelled. The newly evolved Pokemon burst into flames. The sleep powder instantly was incirnerated. "You learned flame charge also! That's great!" He pointed at the shocked butterfly and gym leader standing in front of him. "Bet you never saw that coming! Now, Fletchinder, use flame charge!"

The bird, already fired up, shot straight up into the air and hit Vivillon straight in the chest. It drove Vivillon straight down into the ground, where it crashed in a massive explosion. The dust cleared to reveal Vivillon knocked out. Fletchinder circled overhead.

The announcer looked shocked as well, but she shook it off. "Vivillon is unable to battle, which means that the victor of the match is Ash!"

"Alright!" Ash yelled. He threw his hand into the air in celebration. Pikachu jumped into his free arm, while Fletchinder came down to land on his shoulder.

Everyone standing on the sidelines rushed down to congratulate Ash. "Ash, that was amazing!" she yelled, running up to him.

"It was amazing that Fletchinder evolved when he did. I thought Viola was going to KO him for sure." Clemont pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Awesome!" Bonnie yelled, jumping up and down. "Fletchinder is amazing! Such a cutie!"

Erin simply stared at him in shock. "Nice battle" was all that she could get out. What had she done? Ash's Fletchling wasn't supposed to evolve-that couldn't happen until the episode in the canyon!

Ash and Serena looked at her questioningly, but for completely different reasons. Serena stared daggers into her, while Ash simply seemed puzzled. Both of their attentions were diverted, however, after Viola walked over.

"Ash?" she said, "I have to say, Alexa was right. That was completely unexpected. Here is the Bug Badge to prove that you won a battle against me." The announcer held out a soft pillow with a metal badge shaped like a beetle on it.

Ash took it and thrust it into the air. "Alright, I won a bug badge!" he yelled, and Pikachu and Fletchinder chorused in agreement. He took a black case out of his backpack and carefully placed the badge into the first slot.

"Also," Alexa said, breaking into Ash's celebration, "I imaging that you're looking to challenge your next gym. In that case, how about the gym in Cyllage City?"

"Okay, sounds great!" Ash exclaimed. "In that case, I think we'll be heading out. Thanks!"

"Alright, bye everyone," Viola said, smiling and waving.

"I think I'll be seeing you all again sooner than you may think," Alexa announced with a wink.

On that note, the five of them headed out of the gym towards the Pokemon Center. Ash turned around. "Hey, Erin and Serena, where are you two headed from here?"

Serena stopped like a Deerling caught in headlights and started to blush. "Who, me? I... Uh, well... You see..."

Ash interrupted her. "I know! Why don't you two come along with us?"

Bonnie shouted her agreement. "Yeah, I'm sure that it'll be a lot of fun! Come with us, oh please?" She reached out and grabbed Erin with one hand and Serena with the other.

"Yeah," Clemont agreed, "It sounds like an excellent idea to me!"

"Thanks to you, I came up with my Santalune Gym strategy!" Ash said, "And if you'll help me from here on out, I'm sure that'll be awesome!"

Serena paused for a moment in thought, then looked up with a wink. "Sure, how could I possibly say no to all that?"

"Hey," Erin said, "I'm in too." She didn't even need to think about it first.

"Great!" Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont exclaimed.

"Ok," Erin said. "It's settled, then. We'll head out for the Cyllage Gym tomorrow!"

 **Later, Outside the Pokemon Center**

"Come on out, Druddigon!" Erin yelled.

The pokeball arced through the air as it spun. It opened in a great flash to reveal Druddigon. "Druddigon!" it roared. It was incredible to Erin how fast it was growing. In a matter of a day, it had expanded from being the size of her forearm to coming up to her stomach. She petted her Pokemon's head.

"Who knows, in a couple of days you'll be as big as I am," she smiled down at it.

"Gon!"

"Alright Druddigon, when we get to Cyllage City, I want to have a gym battle also! So, we have to start training right away! Dexter says that you can learn dragon claw and thunder fang, so we can work on those moves now!"

"Dru druddigon drud!"

"Awesome! Now, I want you to use scratch on that tree!" Erin said, pointing at a nearby oak tree.

One of Druddigon's claws started to glow, and it rushed forwards and took a wild swipe at the tree. Shards of wood went flying everywhere, and three deep gouges were left in the bark.

"Amazing, Druddigon!" Erin yelled. She flew forwards and hugged her pokemon. "With power like that, there's no way that we can loose! Now, I want you to try something. Can you try to draw more power into your claws for scratch? If you can, I'm sure that you'll get dragon claw in no time!"

"Drud," it replied with a nod. It used scratch again, but instead of rushing forwards immediately, it stood still, trying to generate power. When it did dash forwards to strike the tree, its attack was much more powerful, and it took a solid chunk out of the tree.

"Erin!" She turned around quickly to see Serena running towards her. "Druddigon looks great!"

"Thanks so much!" Erin replied. She turned back to Druddigon. "Now, you keep trying that, okay?"

"Drud!"

Serena smiled, then her eyes clouded over and she looked back at her. "Why did you tell me what you did? During the battle, I mean."

"I-I don't know. I mean, it didn't all happen, did it?" Erin said, averting her eyes so that she wouldn't have to look at Serena. "I had no idea that Fletchinder would evolve when he did."

"Well, I guess that's true..." Serena said with a pout. She sighed, then moved on. "Anyways, come on inside! Clemont made dinner, and I cooked some delicious pokepuffs!"

WHAM! The ground shook as a huge tree tumbled to the ground. Dust was stirred up as a certain exuberant Pokemon roared "DRUDDIGON!"

Serena and Erin whirled around to see the cave Pokemon standing over a fallen tree, claws glowing a brilliant green. "Druddigon, that's great! You learned dragon claw. Now, come on, time to eat." The two of them headed into the Pokemon center, where hot food and thought of Cyllage City awaited.


	5. Rivals, Old and New

Chapter Five: Rivals, Old and New

 **[A/N] Boy, did this chapter turn out different than I expected. Big shout outs to Jdishd and to three guests for reviewing! Your support gets me going on the next chapter, so thanks for that. Please R &R, and enjoy as always! (Note: Pokemon is not owned by Pokefan87)**

 **Lumiose City**

"Hey Clemont," Erin said, "That battle with Clembot yesterday was really something."

The five companions were walking down one of the many streets of Lumiose City. The city was alive, filled with life. She hadn't had enough time the last time she and Serena were here to fully appreciate it.

"Yeah, and now we're off to Cyllage City!" Ash exclaimed. He looked at Pikachu, who was perched on his shoulder, and grinned.

"I know," Serena said, "We can go and visit the professor at his lab! It'll be lots of fun, and I baked some macarons also!" She showed them a basket filled with multicolored pastries.

"Mmm, yummy," Bonnie drooled. "I can't wait!"

"This sounds like a fantastic idea," Clemont remarked.

"I'm in," Erin said. "I can show him my Druddigon too. He said he wanted to see it after it hatched."

"Great!" Ash started walking down the street towards the lab. "Let's get going."

 **Later, at the Pokemon Lab**

"So the five of you have decided to travel together. That sounds like a wonderful idea." Professor Sycamore had greeted them at the door, wearing his lab coat.

"We brought macarons to share!" Serena said, showing him the basket.

All of a sudden, Erin remembered something. _Macarons... Wait, doesn't team rocket show up in this episode of the anime?_ _Maybe I could_ _try to stop them._ Making a mental note of that fact, she excitedly showed the professor her pokeball. "My egg hatched into a Druddigon!"

"Amazing!" the professor replied. "I would like to see it, and I can't wait to get some of those macarons, but I'm particularly busy at the moment, and I need to wrap up some research that I'm conducting."

Sycamore's assistant looked up at them. "I know, why don't we take a break for tea?" she said, smiling.

"Ok," everyone but Erin agreed. She hung back as the others started to walk away.

Serena looked over with a frown. "Erin, is everything okay? Aren't you coming?"

Erin looked down, nervous. "There's just one thing that I need to take care of first. I'll be right there, okay?"

Serena looked confused for a moment, then smiled brilliantly. "Sure, no problem! Don't keep us waiting too long, okay?" She turned around, then started walking. "Come on Ash, lets go."

Erin watched them go, then backtracked out the front door. She slowly strolled along the front of the Pokemon lab until she came across a wooden bench. She sat down, and drew her pokeball from its place on her belt. She sighed, then steeled herself for what she was about to do.

"Druddigon, come on out."

With a brilliant flash, the dragon emerged from the pokeball with a roar. It was now four days since Druddigon had hatched, and it had grown massively. Erin was barely taller than it, and with its wings furled out, Druddigon dwarfed her in width. "I can't believe how fast you've grown," she whispered to it, stroking its rocky head. "I was able to hold you when you first hatched. Now look at you."

"Drud," it said in agreement, closing its eyes as if remembering the day.

"Now, there is a group of very bad guys that are coming. They will have a gray truck with them. When they show up, I want you to use dragon claw on it. Got it?"

"Gon," Druddigon agreed with a nod.

"Cool. Now, I need you to remember, this will be our first real battle, so I want you to battle extra hard, okay?" She clenched her fists. _If I can't beat team rocket now, how can I possibly hope to ever beat Ash? I have to win, I just know it!_

A sudden screeching came from down the street. Erin didn't look up, but she took a deep sigh. "Okay Druddigon, use dragon claw!" She spun around with a sudden fire in her eyes.

Druddigon let out a deep roar. "DRUUUUUDDIIIGOOOOON!" It lept towards the gray van bearing down on the Pokemon Lab. The claws on its hand began to glow a brilliant white, then green fire shot up it. It took a wild swipe at the vehicle, and it flew away from the street, landing on its side on the curb with a massive crash.

Erin rushed towards Druddigon and gave it a massive hug. "WOW! Druddigon, that was simply the most amazing dragon claw ever!"

Druddigon sweatdropped as he stared over Erin's shoulder at the three figures emerging from the wreck of the car. "Gon!" it said urgently.

The first was a woman in a white jumpsuit and an outrageous purple hairdo. She gave a hacking cough. "No fair," she wheezed, "somebody ruined our plan before we even got to the professor."

The second was a man in the same outfit, and the third was a Meowth. When the smoke cleared, he was the first one to notice her. "Twerpette!" he yowled in a ridiculous accent, "And she got herself a Druddigon too!"

The three of them sprang into position.

"Prepare for trouble, you beat our van."

"And make it double, but not our plan."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie."

"James."

"Team rocket blasts off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now or prepare for a fight."

"Meowth that's right!"

Jessie jumped on top of the ruined van. "Now look what you did, brat. You'll pay for this!"

James jumped up alongside her. "Say, that Druddigon looks valuable. Let's nab it, and give it to the boss! Inkay, go get that twerp."

Erin narrowed her eyes at James. "Oh yeah?" she yelled. "You'll never get my Druddigon in a million years! Druddigon, use dragon claw."

Druddigon's claws glowed green again, and it rushed towards Inkay. James smiled, and said, "Inkay, be a dear. Dodge, then use tackle!" The purple squid floated just under Druddigon's outstretched claws, then started gearing up for a counter attack.

"Druddigon, catch it with bite!" Erin countered. Inkay shot towards Druddigon, but was stopped cold by its glowing fangs. "Alright, now throw Inkay!" Druddigon spun around and launched Inkay back into team rocket, knocking James down on the van.

"Ooh, you're going to pay for this! Inkay, use psybeam!"

Erin's eyes widened as Inkay started charging a purple beam of energy. _Oh no! Druddigon doesn't know any special attacks to counter!_ "Druddigon, dodge!"

Druddigon started to turn, then began to glow with a purple haze. _What?_ Erin watched in amazement as a beam of purple energy shot from Druddigon's mouth to counter the beam of energy in midair. The two clashed, causing a massive explosion of energy. Erin grunted and shielded her face with her arms, long hair billowing backwards in the wind. Her Poketch blinked on, seemingly on its own accord.

DRUDDIGON HAS JUST LEARNED DRAGON RAGE. THIS MOVE WILL DO A SET AMOUNT OF DAMAGE REGARDLESS OF TYPE.

"Druddigon, you learned dragon rage! That's great!" Erin called.

"Erin!" she spun around as Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Professor Sycamore came running forwards. "Are you okay?" Serena and Ash asked. "Team rocket!" Bonnie and Clemont exclaimed.

"Guys, I need you to let me handle this," Erin said with certainty in her voice. "This fight is for me and Druddigon." Everyone looked like they wanted to protest, but Ash simply nodded.

With newfound confidence, Erin turned back to the battle in front of her. "Druddigon, lets finish this up." She pointed at the three villains struggling to their feet across from her. "Use dragon rage!"

Druddigon let out a roar as it's body was engulfed by purple flames. "DRU-DDI-GON!" A massive shot of light erupted, shooting into team rocket, who were sent flying. They disappeared over the horizon in a flash.

Erin held her breath for a moment, then yelled "Alright, we won!" She rushed over to Druddigon. "I'm really proud of you. You learned dragon rage, after all."

"Drud." Druddigon held out its arm and flexed its bicep, and Erin collapsed in a hopeless pile of giggles.

"Druddigon is really strong!" Erin looked up to see Ash standing in front of her. "Maybe you and I could get a battle sometime? I'm sure Pikachu and I could learn a lot. Right, buddy?"

"Pika!"

Erin stood stock still. "Who, me?" She felt a red heat rising to her cheeks, and she fought furiously to stop it. _What? No, I can't be blushing. Why am I blushing?_ "Um, sure. That would be a lot of fun."

Bonnie oogled at her. "Aw, you blush just like Serena does. So cute!"

"What!" Erin yelled, her voice squeaking at the end, causing her to blush even more. Everybody started laughing at this, except Serena, who crossed her arms and humphed.

"You know, Erin, that Druddigon is really something!" Professor Sycamore said, looking over at her Pokemon. "You know, its moves were quite powerful. I believe it may have the ability sheer force, which give all moves a lot more power."

"Woah, really? So my Druddigon is more powerful than other Druddigons?" Erin asked.

"Yes. In fact, I believe it may be strong enough to handle Mega Evolution!"

Everybody said something at the same time.

"Druddigon can Mega Evolve?"

"How do you know?"

"Is that true?"

"Are we ever going to eat the macarons?"

"Hang on, now just wait a second everybody!" Professor Sycamore said, frantically waving his hands in front of the five trainers who were in his face. "Now, this is just speculation, but there are rumors that Druddigonite has been discovered in the mountains far to the west of here. Reports of a much larger than average Druddigon have started circulating among the scientific community. The belief now is that a Mega Druddigon has been trained by a powerful trainer."

"Did you hear that, Druddigon?" Erin asked the cave Pokemon. "You can Mega Evolve!"

"Gon!"

"Hey everyone," a shout came from the doorway of the lab. It was the professor's assistant. "Macarons and tea are ready, if anyone is still interested."

The group started to moved back inside, with ideas of Mega Evolution the hot topic on everyone's mind.

"Oh, yeah, Ash, there's one more thing." Professor Sycamore said.

"What's that?"

"A strange guy came by yesterday, asking for a guy with a Pikachu. When I told him you had left, he rushed off after you. You haven't seen him, have you?"

Ash scratched the back of his neck. "That's weird, no we haven't. We'll keep an eye out for him, okay?"

 **Route Five**

The forest was dense. The knotted trees twisted in on each other, providing perfect refuge for the Pokemon that resided within them. Deep shadows fell on the path that had been gouged out of the wilderness.

"Won't this forest ever end?" Serena grumbled. The five companions were walking down route five. In usual fashion, Bonnie had rushed ahead, Clemont had fallen behind, and Ash, Serena, and Erin were all bunched up in the middle.

"Hey, I think I see a clearing up ahead," Bonnie called back.

"Finally," Serena groaned. "Maybe we can have some lunch when we get there."

"Yeah, but first, Pikachu and I need to do some training for the Cyllage gym!" Ash exclaimed. "We've got to be ready, right Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" the mouse exclaimed, pumping its fist in excitement. Electricity crackled from its cheeks.

"Hey Ash," Erin said, "Would you mind if I joined you? I was thinking that maybe I might challenge the Cyllage gym as well." She fingered her pokeball on her belt nervously. _And after we've done that, I'm going to challenge you too, Ash Ketchum._

"Sure!" Ash said in agreement, "Sounds like fun."

Erin glanced over at Serena, who had gone from looking tired to downright dejected. "Serena?" The honey-haired girl looked over at her. "I know that you and Fennekin have never really had a real battle before, but do you think you might want to train with us too?"

Serena looked surprised. "Who, me?" she asked, "I don't know, I would never want jump between you and _Ash_ , now would I?" Her lip quivered a bit, then she turned away.

Erin's mouth hung open. Never, had she ever seen that much venom from Serena. _Shit, she thinks that I'm hitting on Ash._ Before she got a chance to respond, Serena bowed her head and speed walked forwards to catch up with Bonnie.

"Serena?" Ash called. _He is clueless_ , Erin decided. _He is simply the densest boy ever when it comes to girls._

She scowled at him. "You know, you could try to make her feel better." She stopped walking, and waited for Clemont, as Ash kept walking, utterly confused.

The inventor was exhausted, taking haltering steps in a futile attempt to keep up. Once he caught up to Erin, however, he started walking at a normal pace. "What was all of that about?" he asked, pointing a finger at Serena, who looked like she was making conversation with Bonnie.

"It-It's complicated," Erin faltered. She desperately looked for a way to change the subject. "Hey, do you have any inventions that you've been working on?"

The mood seemed to lighten instantly. "Well, as a matter of fact, I do," he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I have created an automatic sandwich maker! I call it the Sandwich Slicer Dicer Stacker Mark Two!" He looked off into the distance, pointing his finger at some unknown entity, before coming back into reality. "I was going to use it to make lunch."

"Uh," Erin said, "Did the first one explode?"

"Only a little bit!" Clemont said embarassedly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Wonderful." At that, the two of them burst out laughing

 **Later, in the Clearing**

The clearing was placed on the precipice of a deep ravine. The crew had set up camp about an hour earlier. Erin and Ash were training with Druddigon and Froakie, respectively. Erin had successfully gotten Druddigon to unlock its egg move, thunder fang, and Ash and Froakie were practicing a double team combo.

"Druddigon, you're doing really well." Erin patted her Pokemon's rocky head. She glanced over at the lunch table. Clemont was tinkering, working on his Sandwich Slicer Dicer Stacker Mark Three. Bonnie and Dedenne were running around in circles. And then Serena...

Erin sighed. She had tried to console Serena, but she didn't even acknowledge her existence. She was just sitting at the table dejectedly, holding Fennekin, who was staring up at her worriedly.

A powerful updraft blew in from the ravine behind the two of them. Erin gasped as the cold wind blew up her back, but Druddigon closed its eyes, as if drawing in the gust. It furled out its wings to full length. Erin gasped. She had never seen it do this before.

She held out her watch and pointed it at Druddigon. "Dexter, what is Druddigon doing," she whispered.

NORMALLY, DRUDDIGON USE THEIR WINGS TO RE-ENERGIZE THEMSELVES. HOWEVER, THIS DRUDDIGON APPEARS TO BE ATTEMPTING TO FLY. ERIN, BE ADVISED THAT DRUDDIGON ARE UNABLE TO FLY. THEIR WINGS ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THEIR MASSIVE BODY UP.

"Druddigon can't fly?" she shouted. She watched in horror as her Pokemon turned, wings outstretched, and perched itself on the edge of the precipice. "Druddigon, no!" she screamed as it took a mighty leap and jumped over the edge. The dragon seemed to hover for a second, then plummeted towards the ground. Erin, without thinking, launched herself over the edge after Druddigon.

As the two of them began to freefall to the river far below, Erin screamed, "Use dragon claw on the wall to slow us down!" One of Druddigon's arms stretched out, and scraped against the side of the wall, slowing their fall. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and Druddigon protectively wrapped its wings around its trainer as they crashed into the stony ravine down below.

Erin laid still on Druddigon's chest for a moment. She was alive. Druddigon had saved her. _Druddigon._ The Pokemon had taken an insane ammount of damage from the fall, she just knew it. She crawled over to its head and saw swirls in its eyes. "Thank god Druddigon's okay," she whispered. She fumbled for its pokeball. "Druddigon, return!" The dragon disappeared in a red flash.

"That was incredibly foolish." Erin looked around for the voice, and she noticed a figure, cloaked in shadows at the side of the ravine. "Your Druddigon is obviously not well trained if it doesn't know better than to try to fly. You really must be a weaker trainer than I thought."

Erin tried to stand up, furious with who ever had just insulted her and Druddigon. As she did, though, her head spun furiously, and she was forced to sit back down. "Who are you?" she breathed, barely audible.

The figure stepped out of the shadows to reveal a boy about her age, with short gray hair. "My name is Paul, and as far as you are concerned, I never existed. Pidgeot, standby!" He tossed a pokeball and a large bird appeared in a flash. "Take her back to Ash and the others."

"Paul?" she barely had time to whisper before the Pidgeot picked her up in its claws and carried her upwards. The world spun around her, and she passed out in the majestic bird's claws.


	6. Discussions and Concussions

Chapter Six: Discussions and Concussions

 **[A/N] This chapter took me a lot longer than all of the other ones that I've done so far. This is somewhat of a filler, but it needs to happen. After this, I promise there will be more action. Also, thanks to DrafteeDragon for reviewing! So, here's chapter six! (Note: Je ne possède pas Pokemon)**

 **At the Route 5 Pokemon Center**

A harsh metalic sound pushed through the black in Erin's mind. She hurt all over. _Where am I? What happened?_ She opened her eyes to see a blur of colors. The sound came again. It was a low steady beep, coming from the machine next to where she was lying. She was on a soft bed.

"Thank Arceus, she's awake. Wigglytuff, go get the others," a soft female voice called out.

Erin rubbed her hands over her eyes, then remembered what had happened. She shot up, then felt a wave of dizziness and nausea wash over her. Groaning, she carefully laid back down. All that she could manage was to whisper, "Druddigon."

"Woah, don't get up so fast. Take it easy. Your Druddigon is fine. It took an absurd amount of damage from the fall, but it's a tough Pokemon. It'll live. You, on the other hand, have a concussion. You need to get a lot of rest." The speaker was nurse Joy. Erin blearily rubbed her hands over her eyes.

"How did I get here?" Erin croaked. She moved herself into an upright position, only slowly this time.

Nurse Joy frowned. "A Pidgeot showed up with you in its claws, with your friends following it. The bird just dumped you here then flew off. Nobody was able to tell me anything, so I have no idea what you did to get yourself in this condition."

Erin collapsed against the bedboard, exhausted by the effort of sitting up. In a dull monotone, she said, "Druddigon tried to fly. It couldn't."

"How did that get you concussed?" Nurse Joy asked.

"It jumped off the cliff. I jumped after it."

"YOU WHAT!"

Just as nurse Joy looked like she was gearing up for a lecture on Pokemon safety, Erin's friends barged in.

"Erin, you're awake!" Ash called excitedly, rushing over.

"Yes, this is fantastic!" Clemont exclaimed. "We were beginning to worry about you."

"Guys, I'm fine," Erin said tiredly. She glanced around the room and searched for the one person who was missing. "Where's Serena?"

"I don't know. She said that she would come by later," Ash said with shrug. Erin stared up at him in disappointment. _She's still mad at me. Of course she is._ She sank back down into the bed.

"Where's Druddigon?" Ash pointed over at a window on one side of the room. Through it, Erin could see her Pokemon, bathed under yellow light, slowly recuperating. She made a move to get up and go to her Pokemon, but Ash held her back. She tried to push back against him, but she was too weak. "Let me go!" she yelled.

"Erin, stop, you're going to hurt yourself."

"Fine," she pouted.

"Hey," Ash said more seriously, "You know you shouldn't jump off cliffs like that. You could have hurt yourself worse than you already have."

Erin stared at him like he had lost his mind. "Ash Ketchum, you are unbelievable! You've thrown yourself off more building than I care to count! Now I do it to save my Pokemon, and here you are acting like it's the worst thing I could have done in that situation." _Why on Earth is he being such a hypocrite?_

"This is different!" He was incredibly worked up.

"How? How is this any different?" Erin probed.

"Well, I don't know, maybe I'm just worried about you!"

"Well," Erin retorted, the full implications of what he had just said not fully registering with her. "Have you ever stopped to consider how worried the rest of us get whenever you pull one of you crazy stunts?"

"No, but... I guess you're right. Maybe I am overreacting a bit," he said with a laugh. "Do I really throw myself off buildings that much, though?"

"Yes, all the time!" Erin cried, and the two of them burst out laughing. Erin's head started to hurt, and her laugh devolved into a hacking cough.

Ash stood up and turned to the door. "Get some rest," he called back over his shoulder, "That way we can start moving out towards Cyllage City again tomorrow."

Erin couldn't help but to grin as he left. _That's so Ash. Always looking forwards to his next gym battle._

 **Later**

The door to Erin's room creaked open. The center was dim, with the lights turned down for the night. Erin watched as a lone figure crept in.

"Serena? Is that you?" she called.

"Huh?" Serena said, "Oh, hi Erin. I didn't realize that you were awake. It's late." She awkwardly walked over to the bed.

Erin sighed. "Look, can we talk about what happened yesterday?"

She instantly stiffened up. In a strained tone, she said "I don't see what there is to talk about."

"I think that there's been a misunderstanding," Erin pushed on, "You see, I-"

Serena stopped her. "Yes, I think I see it perfectly well. You just show up in my life one day, and then all this happens." She waved her hands in the air. "And now you expect me to sit and listen while you and Ash go-"

"Serena!" Erin interjected.

"What?" She was bright red, ready to put up a fight.

"I don't like Ash," Erin deadpanned.

"Oh," Serena said. She blushed far deeper than she already was.

"I respect him as a battler, and I want to beat him, but it would just be weird," Erin said.

"Huh? Why would it be weird?" Serena looked genuinely confused.

 _Why would it be w_ _ei_ _rd? I've watched him for years, and he's an imature, bratty, hopelessly incompetent kid. Or, at least he is on screen._ "I just can't, okay? It-it just is wierd."

"That's what you just said."

"It's too sudden

"That's another thing. You just show up. One day my biggest problem is Rhyhorn, and then you show up and everything happens." Serena said. "How do you know so much about Pokemon?"

 _Deny._ Erin made a big show out of sighing. "I told you, I'm from Kanto."

"What town?" Serena was staring her down, and all of a sudden Erin broke a cold sweat.

"Pallet Town?"

"Liar. Ash would have known you. Who are you really, Erin?" Serena asked. She was on the end of her line, Erin could tell.

 _You know what? I'm done with this game._ "Do you really want to know, Serena?" she whispered intently. "Do you really want to know how I know you, and Ash, and Bonnie and Clemont and every person Ash has ever traveled with? I could tell you."

Serena gaped at her, and it wasn't until that moment that Erin realized that she was in over her head. She had so much power right now over her friends. She could tell them everything that would happen in the next year. "I-I don't know. It's just-Everything has been happening so fast." She slumped against Erin's bed.

"Yeah."

It was a long time before either one spoke again. When Serena finally did, her voice was hollow. "I think that I just need some time... to think."

Erin watched her as she slipped out of the room into the dark night.

 **Later**

Thunk.

Erin sat up straight as she heard a noise come from the window. _What was that?_ A cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck. She trained her eyes, trying to see through the darkness of the night.

Thunk. The noise came again, only this time Erin thought that she saw a flash of blue. _Maybe it's a Pokemon._ Nervously, she called out "Who's there?"

The response was silence. Erin sat still, somewhat scared but mostly curious. She wished that she had Druddigon, but for now, he was still in the med-bay, healing.

"Pidgeot, use peck!" The window shattered into a million pieces, and a figure darted into the room through the hole.

Erin opened her mouth to scream, but she was stopped as the person put his hand over her mouth. "Let me go!" she managed to make out.

"I need to talk to you," the figure said, "But nobody can know that I am here, understood?"

Erin's eyes went wide, and she nodded. As soon as he let go, she drew back. "What the hell do you want?"

"I want to offer you my help." The mysterious boy drew back a low hanging hood from his head to reveal a face that Erin knew well.

"Paul?" _Why is he in Kalos? He never left Sinnoh in the Anime!_

"You," Paul said, his face darkening. He wore his trademark scowl, hand resting on the majestic bird Pokemon resting behind him. "You're different from the rest. I need to know why."

 _Does he know?_ "What do you mean? I'm from Kanto." By now, she had said the lie so many times that she almost had started to believe it.

"No, you aren't. I can see it, in the way that you talk, and move, and look at Pokemon. You come from some place else." He shifted to his other foot.

Erin gaped at him. "But-How? Why do you care so much?"

"You really don't get it, do you?" His face turned bitter, and he turned away. "They took my Electivire. I woke up in a strange house with a man who claimed he was my brother, and all that I could remember was that Electivire was gone."

"Reggie?" Erin said without thinking. _What the fuck is going on here?_

Paul spun around. "How do you know his name?" he intoned. Erin tried to shy away from his intensity, but she couldn't escape his look. "I knew you were different. You know things. I knew it as soon as I saw you walking with Ash." His eyes became hungry. "Who am I, Erin? Why can't I remember anything?"

"I-I don't know! I don't know how I got here, or why I'm here. All that I know is that I'm not home." A spring of untapped feelings that Erin hadn't realized that she had came pouring out. She missed her house, her friends, her world. She wanted to go home. "I just don't know."

Paul let out a low laugh. "Well, that makes two of us. I can show you what I know." He gestured to Pidgeot, who was still standing behind him. "Use hidden power."

The bird started to glow, and a light green aura washed over Paul and Erin. Erin gasped as the back of her and Paul's hands started to glow, brighter and brighter, until a black mark was visible on their hands. They were identical; a black line with three smaller lines running through it. She looked down in horror. _Where did this come from? How could this have happened?_

"Will you trust me?" Paul asked as the green light coursed through his body, lighting up his face with a ghostly illumination. "Will you tell me who I really am?"

Erin made a split second decision. "Yes," she said, "But not here, and not now. Evidently you've been following up. I'm sure there will be a good time."

"It's a deal."

Two hands reached out and shook as the ghostly mark intertwined between them. The light faded, and Paul slipped back out of the window.


	7. Breaking Titles at the Battle Chateau!

Chapter Seven: Breaking Titles at the Battle Chateau!

 **[A/N] We're back with another chapter! I really wanted to get this one out on time, so I decided to split the chapter in half. I have a huge paper due tuesday, so I've been working nonstop on that. Ash v Erin will be next chapter, so wait on it! As always, thanks for the continued support and I hope you enjoy it! (Note: Pokemon is owned by Nintendo. N-I-N-T-E-N-D-O. Not me. Got it?)**

 **At a Route 5 Pokemon Center, Nine Days Later**

"Ta-da!" Bonnie and Serena exclaimed.

"What's that?" Ash asked, looking at the picture that Serena was showing them.

"Pika?"

"The Battle Chateau," Serena said excitedly.

"The Battle Chateau?" Ash asked, as clueless as ever.

"I've never heard of it before," Clemont said thoughfully.

Erin smiled. "I know what it is! It's where trainers battle, like, in a sophisticated way." On a whim, she stood up, crossing her legs and flourishing her hand in the air. "If you please, most noble Duchess, I would now like to pound your pokemon into the ground. To a good battle!" She took a deep bow, lost her balence, and fell face first onto the table in front of her. The entire group burst into a chorus of laughter.

"Ash," Serena exclaimed, "You're going to love this place! You get to battle, and it's nearby! Let's go! When a trainer at the Chateau wins a battle, they win something, though I'm not sure quite what." She smiled at him and blushed, tilting her head to the side.

Ash, completely oblivious to the antics of his female companions, said, "Alright, that sounds cool! Maybe you're awarded some sort of badge."

Bonnie's eyes went wide. "Or maybe you win a cake? I love cake." She sighed, drifting into her own private fantasy of oversized deserts."

Clemont embarassedly laughed, shaking his head. Serena peered down at her guide. "Now let's see..."

All of a sudden, a large finger was in Erin's face. She pushed it away and said, "Hey, who's that?"

"Noble title, yo." It was a large kid, with a Fletchinder on his shoulder, a red Fletchinder cap, and a bandage over his cheek.

"Fletchinder!"

"Woah," Ash said, "you've got a Fletchinder too? So what's a noble title?"

Both the large kid and the smaller one at his side looked surprised. The little one moved to speak. "Nico, he actually listened to what you said, yo, yo." He looked identical to the older kid, but his bandage was on his nose.

"Yo, Yo, Yo not from around here yo," Nico said.

"Yo, Yo, check out the legendary Riviere walk Yo!" The two of them started struting around the five of them. Erin bored her eyes into them. _Now of couse I remember these idiots from the anime. I could take out that kid's Fletchling in five seconds._

"You should learn it if you gonna be here, yo."

"Uh," Ash said, taken aback.

"Do you think that they're rapping?" Serena asked innocently, and the two boy stood stock still in horror and embarassment. Erin laughed out loud at how ridiculous the writing on this episode was, only mortifying the boys even more.

Ash snapped them out of their depression. "So, noble title?"

"It's kinda hard to explain, yo."

"But we're heading to the Battle Chateau now, yo."

"Come with us and check it out for yourself, yo, yo."

"Great!" Ash exclaimed, standing up. "It'll be the perfect warmup before I challenge the Cyllage Gym."

"Yeah," Erin agreed. "I'm sure that I need the practice as well. Druddigon and I are ready to go!" She stood up as well.

"Pikachu!" the yellow mouse on Ash's shoulder agreed.

"Warmup? I wouldn't be too sure about that. It may be tougher than you think."

"You're gonna be floored when you get there yo."

Ash introduced himself. "I'm Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu."

"I'm Clemont, and it's a pleasure to meet you both."

"And I'm Bonnie"

"Serena's my name. Hi there!"

"I'm Erin."

"Well, I'm Nico, and my partner is Fletchinder."

"And I'm Chester, and my partner is Fletchling, yo."

 **Route 5**

"So today's the first time you challenge the Battle Chateau, Chester?" Ash asked.

"Uh huh, it sure is," Chester replied.

Erin, walking behind the rest of the group, was furiously going over battle strategy in her head. Sighing, she looked up, searching for something in the sky. She found it in a tiny black speck hovering far overhead, and smiled. True to what he said, Paul was still following them.

 **Flashback**

 _Paul sat back, stunned at what Erin had told him. "I competed in four leagues, and lost all of them? What kind of loser trainer was I?"_

 _Erin tried to comfort him. "Paul, you're not a loser. You and Ash had an intense battle in the Sinnoh League – His Infernape just activated blaze and was able to take out Electivire at the last moment, that's all."_

 _"That guy beat me? He's so weak."_

 _Erin stared at him exasperatedly. "Look, if you think that Ash is such an awful trainer, then why are you following him?"_

 _"Because your group has the answers that I need." Paul said haughtily, turning away. "I wouldn't bother with you otherwise."_

 _"Oh my Arceus, you are impossible! Why don't you just travel with us? You obviously aren't going to stop following us."_

 _"I can't travel with Ash, okay? I'll just keep following you until I get the answers I need." he sniffed._

 _Erin sighed and looked at him. He was the most infuriating person she had met so far, and he was worse than he was on the show. "Fine, but you can't keep me from talking to you." Why she would ever want to was a good question._

 **End Flashback**

Erin was jolted out of her thoughts as Nico said, "Yo, there it is, yo!"

"Wow, check it out!" Ash exclaimed.

"Oh," Serena gasped, "It's gorgeous."

The serene mansion rose high above them. Beautiful windows and spiraling towers loomed over the river. A grand set of double doors was framed by an intricately carved gate. Floating over the river, a large battlefield was visible in the back.

"What's written up there?" Ash asked, looking at the gate.

"Battle Chateau: Prove your strength with a title," Clemont read.

Serena and Ash pushed the door open, and everybody gasped. Erin followed the rest of the group inside.

"It's beautiful," Serena said in awe.

A person in a maid's uniform stood at the end of the marble foyer. She bowed, and said, "Baron Nico, the battle chateau welcomes you with open arms."

"Baron?" Ash asked as Nico walked forwards.

"I brought my brother along with me today. He'd like to have his debut battle."

"I'm Chester, very pleased to meet you."

Ash and Erin walked forwards to stand next to Nico and Chester.

"I'd like to have a battle too," Ash said confidently.

"So would I," Erin said.

"Oh," the woman said, "and you are?"

"I'm Ash, and I come from Pallet Town in the Kanto region."

"And I'm Erin."

"Well, well, well," a voice came from the side. "It's the honorable barron Nico. It's a pleasure to see your brother make his debut." It was a bespectacled man in formal dress.

"Well, thank you," Chester said.

"This is the Chateau owner, Duke Turner," Nico gestured.

"Pleased to meet you. It is my honor to welcome a guest who traveled all the way from the Kanto region," Duke Turner said.

Erin watched as they were led off towards the sitting room. Serena oohed and ahed as they walked through the grand halls. Finally, they came across the sitting room. Duke Turner walked over to a podium near the entrance.

"I would like everyone to welcome the honourable Baron Nico." His words were met with a round of applause. "In addition, seeing that we have three new knights who will be making their debut appearence, we will be holding an elimination tournament to determine who will gain the title of Baron. If any other new knights are willing to take the challenge, they should step forwards to the podium."

Erin looked around the room expectantly, and watched as a cloaked woman steped forwards. She had a green cloak, patterned with swirls, and the Pokemon belt strapped to her waist showed that she had six Pokemon with her. "I will accept this challenge, Duke Turner," she said.

"Ah, Knight Cerys. I was wondering when you would decide to have your first battle here," Duke Turner said. "Alright, so it is decided. The tournament between Knights Chester, Ash, Erin, and Cerys will comence in fifteen minutes time." The noble man stepped down from the podium and slipped into a side room.

"Grant!" a call came from behind the group. Erin spun around to see a woman with blond hair yelling up at a man hanging from the ceiling. _Hey, isn't that Viola?_ She watched as Viola gave  
Grant a wave, and he waved back.

Ash was not subtle. "Viola, hey! Over here!" he yelled across the peaceful sitting room. Everybody frowned at him, and Serena and Erin facepalmed.

Viola looked up and noticed him. She walked over. "Hey there Ash and Erin, who would've thought I'd be running into you."

"What are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"I love the Chateau," she said with a smile. "I actually have the noble title of duchess." She was interrupted by a loud crash coming from behind them. Everybody spun around to see the man who had been climbing on the wall sprawled out on the marble. "Oh, Grant, you realize this is the third time this month?" Viola sighed.

"Sorry," Grant said. "I just can't help it. The beauty of the walls here simply call to me, I cannot resist. They are pristine in their glory. You do see the beauty in the Battle Chateau's walls, don't you Viola?"

Viola sweatdropped. "You can talk about their beauty all that you want, but I'll never understand the appeal of walls."

"Um, do you guys know each other?" Ash asked.

"His name's Grant, and he's never seen a wall he doesn't love. Also, he's strong. He's the Cyllage city gym leader." Viola winked at Ash.

"Woah, really?" Ash exclaimed. "I'm headed to Cyllage city, where I'm going to challenge you!"

"Yeah," Erin said, "Me too!"

Grant looked like he was ready to respond, when a voice called out over the hubbub of the waiting room. "The first round pairings of the novice tournament have been decided. First, we will have Ash versus Chester, then we will have Erin versus Cerys. Would the first two participants please make their way to the battlefield?

 **Round One: Chester vs Ash**

The judge stood at the front of the battlefield. "Ash and Chester, whoever wins this battle will be moving on to the finals of this tournament."

"Right!" Ash said.

"Well, I've been training long and hard for this day," Chester agreed.

"Then let's get underway."

Erin stood up on the balcony next to Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. She could hear Viola and Grant discussing Ash's battle style in the background. _If I win, and Ash doesn't loose somehow, then I'll be facing him for the first time. Am I ready for this?_

The two participants each drew a pokeball from their belts and held them out so that the buttons on the front touched. "To a good battle," they chorused, before turning and walking back to their respective sides.

"Okay, Pikachu, get in there," Ash called. Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder and bounded into the battlefield. "This is our first battle here, and I want to win it with you." He clenched his fists, and Pikachu let out a murmur of agreement.

"And my Pokemon is Fletchling!" Chester yelled, tossing the ball. In a flash, the red bird appeared, fluttering by Chester.

"Fletchling's a flying type," Ash said.

"Ash should have a type advantage here," Erin commented. "He's good to go."

Chester smiled confidently. "I've been training for this day with my brother. Fletchling's stronger than you think."

"Now let the battle begin!"

Ash took the first move. "Alright, use thunderbolt!" Pikachu's cheeks crackled, and it's body lit up with electricity. A massive bolt of lightning streaked towards Fletchling.

"Use agility!" Fletchling took off, streaking past the bolts at breakneck speed. Ash watched it fly by and called a counter.

"Electroball!" Balls of lightning shot in all directions, but Fletchling soared past them all. It hovered over Pikachu, and purple feathers fell around it. The mouse Pokemon briefly glowed blue. "What's going on?"

"We just lowered your Pikachu's attack power! Now, steel wing!" Chester yelled. Fletchling's wings started to glow, and it charged at Pikachu.

"We won't lose. Iron tail, let's go," Ash ordered. Pikachu's tail glowed, and it jumped up, countering the steel wing. The two bounced apart.

"Iron tail didn't do a thing," Clemont commented.

"Feather dance is an amazing move!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Serena's grasp on the bannister tightened. "Come on, Ash and Pikachu, do it!"

Erin simply watched the action, absorbing Ash's strategy. She was nervous that she might have to face him, so she was determined to be ready.

Pikachu and Fletching clashed again and again in midair. "But how? Pikachu's attack power is down!" Chester yelled in bewilderment.

"If one time isn't enough, we'll just hit 'em a bunch of times!" Ash entusiastically replied. Just as he said it, Pikachu smacked Fletchling, sending it flying. "Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" The bolt flew through the air, striking Fletchling. The bird fell to the ground, with swirls in its eyes.

"Fletchling is unable to battle! The winning Pokemon is Pikachu!"

The two adversaries walked to the center, bowed, and said "Thank you very much." Ash kneeled down and petted Pikachu's head. "I knew you'd win it, Pikachu."

"You were strong too, Fletchling." Chester reached down and picked up the fainted bird Pokemon.

"And now," said the announcer, "I am pleased to announce that Ash Ketchum of Pallet town will be moving on to the finals."

"Awesome!" everyone said.

"Don't get too excited yet, Erin," Serena said darkly. "Remember, you still have your battle now."

"Right!" Erin said, "I'm ready to win!"

Ash walked up to them. "Alright Erin, now it's your turn," he said, pumping his fist.

 **Round One: Erin vs Cerys**

The same judge from the earlier battle was officiating this battle. "Alright, Erin and Cerys, whoever wins this battle will be moving on to face Knight Ash in the finals."

Erin reached down to her belt and grabbed her pristine pokeball. _Alright Druddigon, this one's all yours. We're going to win this!_ She slowly walked to the center and held out her pokeball to her opponents, then gasped at what she saw. _She caught her Pokemon in an ULTRA BALL? I never see those on the anime. It must be really strong._ She gulped.

"To a good battle," her hooded opponent said. Deep shadows obscured her face, but she stood determinedly.

Erin gulped. "To a good battle."

The two walked back to their respective sides of the battlefield. Cerys threw her ultra ball. "Musharna, you're on!" she called. The pokeball opened in a flash, revealing a floating pink and purple Pokemon. A faint pink mist emanated from a spot on its head.

Erin sized it up. "Dexter, tell me about that Musharna," she said, holding out her watch.

MUSHARNA, THE DROWSING POKÉMON AND THE EVOLVED FORM OF MUNNA. THE MIST FROM ITS FOREHEAD TAKES THE FORM OF THINGS PRESENT IN THE DREAMS IT HAS EATEN.

"Shaaar!" the Pokemon wailed.

Erin took a deep sigh, then threw her Pokeball. "Druddigon, come on out!" The cave Pokemon emerged with a roar. Now full grown, Druddigon made an intimidating figure. Fast and powerful, Erin could tell that it was eager to test its skills. _Now, what's strong against Psychic types? I know!_

"Battle, begin!" the announcer called.

Erin took first move. "Now, Druddigon, show them your bite!" Druddigon's fangs glowed and it rushed towards Musharna at breakneck speed.

"Psychic," Cerys commanded. Musharna let out a cry, and its eyes glowed a brilliant pink. Druddigon started to glow the same color, and it stopped dead in his tracks.

Erin gasped. "Druddigon, break free! Keep using bite!"

"Go Erin!" a call came from the balcony. She looked up to see all of her friends cheering for her.

 _You will not win until I have had my say,_ a mysterious voice rang out in her head. _I know you, Erin._

The voice rang though her head, blocking out everything. Erin glanced at her opponent to see her intensly concentrating on her, as well as Musharna. _Is she doing this?_

Druddigon let out a hopeless roar. "DRUDDIGON!"

 _You have a role to play._ _You know that already, don't you, though?_

Erin narrowed her eyes at her opponent. She opened her mouth to order a move, to scream out, but nothing came out.

 _I know where you come from. I can help you find what you are looking for._ _I will allow you to win this battle. Understand this. When you are ready to find what you are looking for, you will find me._

Psychic instantaneously broke off. Caught of guard and unknowingly pushing forwards, Erin fell face first on the dirt battlefield. Druddigon flew forwards, catching Musharna full on. It let out a blood curdling scream, before collapsing to the ground in defeat.

The announcer, who had been watching the battle, looked stunned. "Um, Musharna is unable to battle. Erin is the winner and will be moving on to the final round of this tournament."

Erin stood still in shocked silence, lying against the hard battlefield. Druddigon had come over out of worry, and was sitting beside her. _What the- What just happened? Who on earth is this person?_ She groaned as she pushed herself into an upright position.

"Erin, heed my words!" Cerys strode towards the middle of the battlefield. "Zoura, reveal yourself."

The entire battlefield began to flicker, and all of a sudden a small black fox sat in the the middle of the arena, giggling demonically. Cries of alarm came from the stands as people realized that Erin was not standing and bowing, but instead slumped over on the ground.

"Now," she called, and the both of them were instantly gone. All that remained was Erin, sitting in shock.

The announcer, shaken, called out, "Uh, due to unforseen circumstances, the Battle Chateau will be closed for the rest of the day. Please return tommorow, Ash and Erin, to commence your battle."

Ash and Serena had rushed down. "Erin, are you okay? You just fell over after Cerys rushed off."

 _Rushed off?_ Erin stared at them. "What do you mean, rushed off? She just disappeared into thin air."

"Erin, I think you might have hit your head when you fell. We have to get you back to the Pokemon Center."

For what seemed like the millionth time in the past two weeks, Erin couldn't help but to think to herself _What is going on here?_


	8. First Match Facedown!

Chapter Eight: First Match Facedown!

 **[A/N] Here's the next chapter! Sorry for the long wait, but I've been crazy busy. With that said, enjoy and R &R! (Note: I don't own Pokemon. Again.)**

 **A Pokemon Center on Route 5**

Erin dug into her plate of food. She was ravenous after being at the Battle Chateau all day. The five companions all were sitting at a picnic table outside of the Pokemon center.

"Oh man, this food is good!" Ash exclaimed. He was literally inhaling his dinner. "Clemont, you're an amazing cook!" He and Pikachu rubbed their bellies.

Serena giggled. Erin just sat back and rolled her eyes. "Ash Ketchum, you are such a glutton."

Ash simply shrugged and went back to eating. "Erin, what happened at the end of that battle? You just collapsed. Are you okay?"

"That's not what happened!" she replied, "I told you, Cerys was using psychic on me, I don't know why."

Serena looked at her. "Are you sure? It didn't look like that to us. Don't you glow blue when psychic is used on you?"

"Yeah," Clemont agreed. "We all saw what happened. You KO'd her Musharna in one move, and she ran off crying. She obviously wasn't prepared for the challenge. We were all surprised when you collapsed."

"It was really scary," Bonnie added.

Erin sat helplessly. "But... that wasn't even real! It was all an illusion. Didn't any of you see the Zorua?"

Clemont squinted at her. "Erin, that's impossible. Nobody's seen a Zorua in Kalos in years, not since they were banned from competitive use. You must have been seeing things."

"But I-"

Ash reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Erin, it's okay. We understand that you might not remember today properly. Just forget about it. Remember, we've got our battle tomorrow! We both should do some training."

Erin was completely confused, but she just nodded. _Something is wrong. Why do none of them believe me?_

 **Later**

"Alright!" Erin yelled. Druddigon slammed into the ground in front of her. It raised glowing claws in triumphant victory. Across the field, Bunnelby slumped to the ground in defeat.

"Bunnelby, return!" Clemont called. A bright red flash shot out, enveloped the bunny, and went back to the pokeball. He strode out to the middle of the field with applause. "That was a fantastic battle, Erin!"

"Hey, it's no thanks to me. That was all Druddigon." She stroked her dragon's neck.

"It was great how it learned dragon tail like that. That makes how many moves now, seven?"

"Yeah," Erin said, "Druddigon and I are getting really strong. He knows leer, scratch, bite, thunder fang, dragon claw, dragon tail, and dragon rage!"

"I'm going to head inside and heal up Bunnelby. Are you coming?" Clemont asked.

"No," Erin said. "I have to finish something up. I'll be right in, okay?"

"Sure, no problem." The inventor walked across the dusty battlefield and into the center. Erin held out her pokeball.

"Druddigon, return." She clipped the ball back onto her belt, turned, and strode into the woods.

The forest was foreboding in the dusk. The deep trees opened and closed without reason, and a deep thicket covered the floor. Erin held out her arm and pushed her sweatshirt back. "Dexter, show me our meeting spot." A small holographic display shot out of the Poketch, illuminating the woods.

ERIN, YOUR MARKED SPOT IS TO THE SOUTHWEST. YOU WILL COME OUT ON THE RIVER IF YOU CONTINUE ON YOUR CURRENT COURSE. CONTINUE UPSTREAM FROM THE BATTLE CHATEAU.

Smiling, she shut the watch down and started to hike. After a bit, she came across the deep blue river. She followed it down to her right for a long while. It was a beautiful night, and the Pokemon were out in force. The river was filled with Lotad, and Hoothoot and Deerling were scattered across the bank.

"I need to catch another Pokemon eventually," Erin softly remarked to herself. She saw a particularly cute Deerling, and her hand went to her purse. She dug around for a minute, then groaned. "I don't even have pokeballs. What lame excuse for a trainer doesn't have a pokeball on them?"

"Obviously, you. You seriously still haven't stopped at a single Pokemart yet?"

Erin spun around. Paul was leaning against a tree, pertched up on a branch. "Paul," she muttered. "You are unbelievable. I come all the way out to this ridiculous spot you marked, and you insult me imediately."

Paul was unphased. "You want to talk about what happened at the Battle Chateau, don't you."

Erin gaped at him. "How did you know?"

Paul nodded. "I thought as much. Your friends didn't believe your story, so I am obviously your next best choice, aren't I?"

"But it's true! There really was a Zoura, and Cerys just disappeared, and I-"

"Stop." Paul leaped down from the tree in front of her.

"Huh?" Erin looked up at him. She had talked to him before, but never in such close quarters. He was taller than her by three inches or so, but he seemed to tower over her. She took a step backwards.

"I believe you." Paul's gaze was intense, and she held it.

"You-you do?" Erin said hopefully. "I'm not just seeing things?"

"I can't promise you that," Paul said, "But too many strange things have been happening recently to be coincedental. It wouldn't be impossible." He held up his hand to prove his point.

Erin nodded her head. "Yeah. First the attack on the bus, then you show up, then this happens. I just wish I knew what's going on."

A loud rustling came from the bush behind them. A Deerling pushed out. It had soft bright pink fur, and a yellow flower was pertched on its head.

Erin stared at it, then drooped. "Aw, why didn't I remember to bring pokeballs? It's so cute!" She slowly walked over and started petting it. The wide-eyed doe looked up at her, then happily rubbed against her leg.

"Deerling deer!" it cooed at her.

Erin smiled down at it. "Aw, now aren't you just the sweetest thing."

A metallic beep sounded through the clearing. THIS DEERLING HAS A VERY SMALL MOVESET. IT KNOWS TACKLE AND SAND ATTACK. ADITIONALLY, THIS DEERLING APPEARS TO BE PARTICULARLY WEAK FOR ITS SPECIES.

The wild Deerling, startled by the noise, hid behind Erin's legs. She slowly turned and glared at Paul. "You just couldn't resist, could you?"

Paul simply looked back at her and shrugged. "I honestly don't even know why you would bother with this one. Haven't you seen all the other Deerlings?"

Deerling seemed to understand Paul's tone, and buried its head in Erin's leg. She reached down and rubbed its head. "Now see what you've gone and done! You hurt Deerling's feelings."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Fine, if you really care this much, then I suppose that I'll induge you." He reached down and grabbed a pokeball from his belt. "Clauncher, stand by!" In a bright flash, a blue lobster appeared on the forest floor. "Erin, get out of the way."

"What do you mean, you'll 'indulge' me?" She suddenly realized what he was about to do. "Paul, no!" She dove out of the way just as a hydro pump came rocketing through. Deerling was hit full on, and staggered under the impact. The small deer fell to three knees.

"Pokeball, go!" A ball flew from Paul's hand to connect to Deerling's head. It was envelloped by a bright red flash and disappeared. The ball rocked, then again, then gave a flash. Paul walked over, grabbed the ball, then looked over at Erin, who was lodged in a bush.

Erin groaned, pulling herself out of the shrubbery. Her clothes and her hair were covered in leaves. "Do you even CARE what happens to other people? You are so infuriating!" She screramed at him for a good five minutes.

Paul stood and listened. When she finished, he stretched out a hand and dropped a small round object in her hand. She looked down at the pokeball and gasped. "You caught that Deerling in a _Luxury ball!_ Those things cost, like, 20,000 poke!"

He frowned. Putting his hand on hers, he closed her fingers over the ball. "This is yours. You did want it, right?"

Erin gawked at him. "What?"

Paul turned away and started walking off into the woods. "You heard me. Keep it. It's not like I have any use for it anyways."

"Oh. Uh, thank you?" She was put off by the unexpected gesture. "Where are you going?" She called after him.

"It's one in the morning. Ash isn't going to beat himself, you know." With that, Paul was gone.

After a quick glance at her watch, Erin realized that he was right. She walked off back the way that she had come, with a glittering Luxury ball clipped to her belt.

 **Round Two: Ash v Erin**

The Battle Chateau soared over the azure river. The balconies were packed with people waiting to watch the battle between Ash and Erin.

The group walked out amid the crowd. Erin was nervous. She was about to battle Ash. For real. She was standing in the Battle Chateau, and she was going to battle Ash. She was starting to panic when a hand rested on her shoulder. She turned around to see Serena, smiling at her.

"Are you nervous?" Serena asked

"Yeah, just a bit," Erin admitted.

"C'mon, you're going to be fine! Druddigon can take anything he can throw at you."

Erin visibly relaxed. "You really think so?" she said weakly.

"Yeah, of course I do!" Serena said, "Remember, don't give up until it's over!"

"Didn't Ash say that?" Erin asked. Serena gapsed, then blushed, smiling.

"He did, didn't he? Oh well, good luck then." She headed of to the balcony, smiling. Erin turned on her heel and walked down the steps to the battlefield.

Ash was already on his side of the field, standing confidently. He called over to Erin. "Good luck!"

"You too!" she called back, then was silenced as the judge came down to the field.

"Ash and Erin, the winner of this battle will be awarded the noble Baron."

The rules were all the same as the preliminary rounds, and Ash and Erin nodded.

"Then let's begin."

Erin looked down at her pokeball belt, and grabbed the normal pokeball. She strode forwards and met Ash in the middle. The two of them locked eyes, and pokeballs touched. "To a good battle," they chorused.

"So, Ash, who are you going to use?" Erin asked.

"You'll see," he responded. He strode back to his side and launched his ball towards the center. "Froaky, I choose you!" The blue frog appeared on the battlefield with a triumphant "Froa!"

Erin grinned. _Perfect. Water type moves are weak on Druddigon._ "Druddigon, come on out!" Her dragon emerged in a flash with a massive roar, staring down the Froaky in front of it. Erin grinned. _We've got this in the bag._

Ash took the first move. "Now, Froaky, use water pulse!" A blue sphere of water grew between Froaky's hands and shot off towards Druddigon.

"Counter with dragon claw!" Erin called. Green claws shot through the air to counter the water, which splashed harmlessly around the dragon. "Awesome! Now, get in close and use thunder fang!"

Druddigon's fangs glowed, then began crackling with electricity, and it charged at the frog. "Froaky, dodge and use pound," Ash called out.

Froaky tensed and jumped just as Druddigon got to it. It jumped over Druddigon and slammed it down in midair, sending it careening into the ground by Erin.

"Druddigon!" she yelled, "You can do it. Use dragon claw again!"

"Froaky, pound again."

Druddigon rushed at Froaky again, and was slammed back down into the ground. It struggled back to its feet and looked at Erin questioningly. She gritted her teeth and stared at Froaky. _Druddigon's so much slower than Froaky, so how can I even land a hit?_ All of a sudden, she had a flash of inspiration.

"Druddigon, use dragon claw once more," she called. Druddigon's claws glowed emerald green, and it rushed towards Froaky again.

Ash yelled to Froaky "Again!" Froaky dodged under the dragon claw and jumped over Druddigon.

"Perfect!" Erin said, "Now get it with dragon tail!" As Froaky's hand started to glow, a glowing tail came from behind it and smacked into the ground.

"What?!" Ash yelled, staring at Froaky. "Froaky, get up and use water pulse!"

"Thunder fang!" As Froaky struggled to get up, Druddigon's fangs glowed once again, and it rushed towards Froaky.

Ash screamed, "Froaky, dodge!" Just as Druddigon was about to bite down, Froaky's form glowed breifly, then stopped. Druddigon's attack went straight through Froaky's limp form, which disintegrated in its jaws.

Erin gasped. Ash looked terrified for a second, then grinned and said, "Froaky, great job on learning substitute! Use bubble!"

"What?" Erin looked up to see Froaky launching a horde of bubbles at Druddigon, which slammed into it and drove it back to Erin's side.

"Now, finish this with water pulse!"

"Counter with dragon rage!"

The beam of purple light and the blue sphere collided in the center of the battle field with a massive explosion. Erin shielded her face as the force of the explosion slammed into her. Just when she thought that the attacks had canceled each other out, but the water pulse came flying through the dust to crash into Druddigon, driving the cave pokemon into the ground.

"Druddigon, no!" Erin ran to her Pokemon, who had swirls in its eyes, and hunched down over it, hugging it. "Please be okay," she whispered.

"Druddigon is unable to battle. This means that the winner is Ash!"

Erin stared down at her knocked out pokemon. _I lost. I lost my first battle against Ash._

Druddigon opened one amber eye. "Drud?" it asked feebly.

Erin bowed her head, fighting to hold back tears. "I'm sorry, Druddigon. I wasn't good enough for us to win." Her Pokemon made a growl in protest, but she held out its pokeball. "Return." she said tonelessly.

There was a gloved hand in front of her face. Erin looked up to see Ash offering her a hand. She took it and got to her feet. Ash smiled at her. "That was an awesome battle! I thought that you had me for a second there. You would have won for sure if Froaky hadn't learned double team there!"

"You really think so?" Erin asked him.

"Sure I do! Druddigon is really strong!" Ash said confidently, and Erin blushed a little.

"I didn't do that well. I totally underestimated Froaky's speed."

"That was an amazing battle!" Erin and Ash looked over to see Clemont, along with Serena and Bonnie, walk over.

Bonnie looked like she was simply bursting with happiness. "Yeah, Druddigon and Froaky were both really good!" she exclaimed.

Serena only had eyes for Ash. "Wow, Ash, you were so strong out there!"

Ash smiled embarassedly. "I didn't do anything at all! It was all Froaky."

Serena shook her head. "Nope, I'm congratulating you!" she said with a smile. Erin could see Bonnie and Clemont looking incredibly confused by the exchange. She just smiled and shook her head.

"Well done to the both of you, I say!" Duke Turner was walking over clapping. "Ash, you have certainly earned the noble title of baron! Erin, you put up a valiant fight. Perhaps you should come back some time. I am certain you would gain the same noble title as your friend here."

For the next fifteen minutes, the group exchanged plesantries with the various guests of the battle chateau. As they were preparing to leave, they were stopped by Grant.

"Ash, Erin, congratulations," he said, "That was a mightily fine battle. I've been told you've been challenging gyms. If so, do you know where you're heading next?"

"Yeah," Erin said, "The Cyllage city gym. You're the gym leader there, right?" _I remember him from the anime for sure. I'll see if I can get Druddigon to use rock tomb climb._

"What?" Ash exclaimed. "I have to face you?"

"Yep, I'll be waiting for your challenge," Grant said with a wink, then turned and walked back over to where Viola was sitting.

Ash looked like he had won the lottery. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to Cyllage city!" He turned on his heel and dashed out the door.

"Ash, wait!" Serena called and ran after him. Erin and the others followed suit as the began again on the road to Cyllage city.


	9. I Wanna Be the Very Best (On Pokevision)

Chapter Nine: I Wanna Be the Very Best (On Pokevision)

 **[A/N] Hey people. Sorry my posting has been so sporadic, I've been sick, plus school and stuff. This chapter is very fluffy. I mostly just took some of the crazier ideas floating around in my head and put them here. It will have significance, but not for a while.**

 **Also, just a look ahead towards where this story will be going. The beginning arc will end after Erin does her Cyllage city gym battle. After that, we're finally done with exposition! Some of my favorite anime episodes happen between Cyllage city and Shalour City, so it's going to be great. With that said, please R &R and enjoy! (Note: I don't own Pokemon, but I do own Erin, Cerys, and the Bus Driver from chapter two. I probably need more OCs)**

 **Route Five, Near Another Pokemon Center**

"Hey, Erin?"

Erin looked down at the young girl walking by her side. They had been traveling all day, and she was more than ready to get to the nearby Pokemon center. Bonnie was staring inquisitively at her belt. "Yeah, Bonnie, what is it?" she asked her.

"Where'd you get that pokeball from?"

 _What pokeball?_ She looked and realized that Bonnie was staring at the luxury ball. "Oh, this? Two nights ago, before my battle with Ash, Pa- I mean, I caught a Deerling out in the woods." Erin let out a little internal sigh, realizing that she had almost told the whole group that Paul was following them.

"Oh, wow! Deerling are really cute!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Can I see it? Oh, please, pretty pretty please?"

Clemont and Serena seemed to be questioning of how exactly Erin had caught it, but Ash had no such reservations. "Yeah, new Pokemon are awesome! So, let's see it!"

Erin picked the luxury ball off of her belt and tossed it up into the air. "Deerling, come on out!" In a white flash of light, the small deer appeared in front of Erin. Its beautiful pink pelt matched the crisp spring air arround it. It had big eyes and ran up to Erin and nuzzled her leg affectionately with a "Deerling deer!"

Bonnie and Ash's eyes went wide at the sight of the new Pokemon. Clemont looked unenthused, and Serena went for her pokedex.

DEERLING, THE SEASON POKÉMON. WITH THE CHANGE OF EACH SEASON, DEERLING'S APPEARANCE CHANGES AS WELL.

"It IS so cute!" Bonnie exclaimed, she rushed up and tried to hug Deerling, but it hid behind Serena's legs.

"Bonnie, you're scaring deerling!" Erin scolded her. "She's a bit shy, I think. Try approaching her slowly."

"Okay," Bonnie whispered. She walked to Deerling, who let out a little confused cry, then slowly petted her. "I'm sorry, Deerling. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Erin," Ash called over. "Are you going to use Deerling in your battle against Grant? Grass types are strong against rock types, you know."

"Well," Erin said slowly, "Deerling kinda only knows how to use tackle and sand-attack, so I dunno."

"Hm," a voice came from behind them. It was Clemont, deep in thought. "I've got it! We can have Chespin help Deerling learn grass type moves!"

"Deer?" The shy Pokemon emerged from behind Erin and looked around curiously at the group.

Chespin chose that exact moment to come out of the pokeball at Clemont's side with a triumphant "Chespin ches!" Deerling took one look at the pokemon and bolted back behind Erin's legs.

"Deerling!" Erin said concernedly. She turned to Chespin. "Now look what you've done, you went and scared her. Go and appologize right now!"

Chespin, looking very put down, dragged his feet as he walked over to Deerling, and seemed to try to appologize, which scared Deerling even more. She almost tried to make a bolt for it, but a beam of red light connected with her side and she dissapeared back into the luxury ball in Erin's outstretched hand.

Erin let out a deep sigh. "Looks like we're going to have to work on that."

 **A Route 5 Pokemon Center, the Next Morning**

"Welcome back to Pokevision Live!" A metallic voice rang out through the lobby, coming from a wide screen TV in the corner. "Time for more rankings! We've reached number four on our countdown. Here's 'Snowcapped Onix!'" The TV showed the giant rock snake huddled arround its trainer, covered in snow.

"Never seen Pokevision before..." Ash commented.

Serena looked at him irrediculously. "That's amazing, since everyone knows about it."

Clemont held up a finger. "Pokevision refers to promotional videos created by trainers themselves."

"Awesome!" Ash said, "That sounds so cool. I wish I knew what that meant." Everybody sighed.

Erin was creating a mental checklist as all of this was happening. _Let's see... This is probably that episode where they make a Pokevision video, which means that team rocket will show up. Also, Serena and Fennekin save the day. Oh, and that stupid video Clemont makes. Hey, maybe I could make a video._ She was contemplating what her video would be as her attention went back to the screen.

"And now, it's time for this week's video number one! Aria and Fennekin's 'Life of an Idol'"

"I knew Aria would be number one!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Serena looked pouty, and so did Fennekin. Ash commented on Aria's Fennekin, and Serena's face breifly looked scared, then relieved that he was talking about the Pokemon, not the person.

Erin smirked and elbowed Serena. "Are you ever going to say anything?" she asked her with an evil grin.

Serena looked paniced for a second, then furious. "Why, you..." She looked like she was going to get more annoyed, then noticed that everyone else was staring.

"Come on, you two, stop bickering." Clemont said.

"You know, I never argue with Clemont. You two should get along more!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Erin was confused for a second, then remembered. _That's right, they think that we're sisters. How could I have possibly forgotten that?_ She shook her head and smiled.

Serena had a slightly different reaction. She stiffened, then said, "Wait, but we aren't even-" She was stopped as Erin threw her hand over her mouth. She made a noise that sounded vaguely like a curse in protest.

Erin hissed into her ear through gritted teeth, "No, not now. Later." She was then forcibly dragged away from Serena by Clemont, and Ash held Serena back.

"Stop it!" Ash yelled. A very angry Fennekin jumped in front of Erin and launched an ember at her. She wrenched herself out of Clemont's grip, and the flame hit Clemont, setting him on fire.

"Ash, let go of-" Serena started, then realized who was grabbing her. "Oh, it's Ash." She then relaxed, and she blushed again.

Meanwhile, Froaky had emerged from Ash's pokeball and was chasing Clemont around the lobby, lobbing water pulses at him. Bonnie and Dedene had hidden behind a large plant and were trying to stay out of it.

"Hey, Serena," Erin cooed, "How about now, huh? Got anything to say to Ash?" She then winked at Serena.

"Ooh, that is it!" Serena yelled, struggling against Ash again. "Come back here, you little-" Her face was bright red from anger and embarassment. Erin stuck out her tongue at her.

"Enough of this!" Ash screamed. "Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" The yellow mouse jumped off of Ash's shoulder, letting off a briliant bolt of yellow light. It crashed into the bickering girls, causing an explosion. When the dust cleared, the three of them were sitting in a black crater in the floor. Pikachu landed next to them unscathed.

"HEY!" a woman screamed. Erin looked up to see and infuriated Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff bearing down on them. "Get out! Get out out of my center right now! Can you _see_ what you've done to my floor?" She pointed to the exit. "NOW!"

Erin grinned at her cheekily. "You wouldn't happen to have equipment to shoot a Pokevision video, would you?" She was answered by the sting of a double slap from the vengeful Wigglytuff. They wasted no more time getting out of the center.

 **A Pokevision Production Shop**

"Excuse me, sir?" Erin asked.

A burly shop clerk turned around and looked at her. "How may I assist you, miss?"

"We'd like to rent two sets of equipment for filming a Pokevision video, please." She handed over 50 poke, and they walked out of the shop with two cameras.

Serena wasn't speaking to her, but Clemont asked "So, Erin and Serena, you two are both going to create a video?"

"Yeah," Erin said.

"Well, mine is going to be much better!" Serena said to Clemont without acknowledging that Erin had said anything. In a much softer tone, she turned to Ash, and asked "Hey Ash, can you help me?"

Ash shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. "Actually, I was going to do some special training."

Erin grinned as the idea she had been mulling over all morning started to come together. "Actually, Ash, I think that you should help _her._ I was thinking that maybe I could borrow your Pokemon for the video." She crossed her fingers behind her back.

"All of them?" Ash asked somewhat questioningly.

Erin nodded. "Yeah, and as a matter of fact, if I could get Chespin and Dedene too, that would be great."

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie looked at each other, then nodded. In unison, they said, "Everybody, come on out!" In a flash, all of the Pokemon appeared.

"Great," Erin said. "Let's go!" She and the pokemon walked off. "See you guys later!"

They walked for five blocks before she noticed a glint out of the corner of her eye. "Watch out!"

A giant metal fist soared past Erin's head, then retracted back into the giant robot that had rolled up behind them. She spun on her heel, and yelled "Team Rocket!" A hatch opened on the top of the rolling bot and the troublesome trio appeared.

"Prepare for trouble, that's a twerp I see."

"And make it double, clear as can be!"

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie."

"James."

"Team rocket blasts off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now or prepare for a fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

Of course, by this point, Erin had released Druddigon, and all of the Pokemon were standing at ready.

"Now! Druddigon, dragon rage! Pikachu, thunderbolt! Fletchling, razor wind! Chespin, Pin missile! Dedene, thundershock! Froaky, water pulse!" All of the attacks joined together to form one gigantic ball of energy, knocking into the robot and sending the rockets flying.

"Alright!" Erin cheered. "That was easy! Now, let's go make a movie!"

 **Later, at the Pokevision Production Shop**

Erin, along with a horde of assembled Pokemon, stood at the desk. "We're done!" she called into the back room.

"Fabulous," said the worker, who had come out to greet them. "I'll take this, edit it, and I can even do a soundtrack if you like."

"Actually, I was kinda wondering if I could sing something. Do you have a recording studio?" the man pointed to a room over to the side, and she went in, shutting the door.

 **Later**

The home theatre was darkened. Clemont, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie all sat in a row quietly waiting. The door in the back of the theater creaked open, and Erin slipped into the room. "Hey guys," she said. "Sorry it took me so long."

"Hey, no prob," Ash said. "What took you so long, anyways?"

Erin winked at him. "It's a secret!" She walked over to her seat and released Druddigon and Deerling in the back of the room to watch the presentation.

"Alright," the theatre manager said, "Serena's up first."

The lights in the room darkened, and the video came on. Erin smirked as she watched Serena and Fennekin dance around the screen in different outfits. _God, I had forgotten how kiddy this video was in the anime. Mine is so much better._

It had taken her the better part of four hours to get the song right. She knew it by heart, but she needed it to sound just right. She had taken piano years ago, and the editor person knew how to play guitar. Somehow, they had pieced it together, then Erin's decent voice and autotune had done the rest.

"Alright, now here's Erin's video," the man called.

As the opening notes started to play, Erin knew that it was perfect.

 _Erin looks out over the forest, head turned down, tapping her foot to the beat._

 _On the dusty battlefield outside the pokemon center, Druddigon comes out of his pokeball to face Fletchinder._

 _All of the pokemon run across the open field, with Erin on Druddigon's back._

 _Erin sits cuddling Deerling, with Dedene on her head, Pikachu at her side, and Druddigon behind._

 _Erin and Deerling dive behind a rock as Druddigon shoots a dragon_ _rage_ _at them._

 _Erin stands in a brightly lit clearing, fist thrust high with Deerling's luxury ball glistening in the sun._

 _Fletchling uses steel wing, then Froaky uses water pulse, then Chespin uses pin missile, then Dedene uses thundershock, then Pikachu uses Electroball, then Druddigon steals the show with dragon rage._

 _A clip of a video Erin took on her Poketch a week ago shows, and all five of them squeeze into the camera making funny faces._

 _At the end of the video, a still frame shows. It reads "Pokemon Theme Song," by Erin_ _Yvonne_ _._

As the screen went black, Erin stared in amazement. She hadn't realized it until then, and she might never feel that way again, but in that moment, she felt like she was home.

Ash cheered. "Erin, that was amazing."

"Everybody was so good," Bonnie said.

"How did you come up with that song?" Clemont asked. "It was simply fantastic!"

Erin grinned. "Oh, it's been in my head for a long time."

Serena hadn't said anything this whole time. She was staring off at the wall, with a dejected look on her face. Fennekin was looking up at her worriedly, and she absent-mindedly petted it.

Ash noticed. "Hey, Serena, what did you think?" he said.

"Oh?" she said so faintly it was almost a whisper. "It was good, I guess."

Erin was oblivious, and turned her nose at the obviously paltry praise. Ash glared at her. "Hey," he said forcefully, "You two make up, right now."

Sullenly, Erin said "Okay, sorry."

"Sorry."

Erin knew it wasn't the end of it, though.

 **[Edit 10/21/17] Removed song lyrics and fixed continuity errors.**


	10. A Whisper in the Night

Chapter 10: A Whisper in the Night

 **[A/N] This is probably the first chapter that actually merits the T rating that I have for this story. It's also the first chapter where I found the need to switch around with perspectives. Also, I'm going to away for two weeks, so the next chapter will be very late. Sorry about that. As always, R &R and enjoy! (Note: I own my OCs. Not Pokemon)**

 **?'s Perspective – Somewhere in Kalos**

"Ma'am."

"Give your report, captain. You stated you detected something?"

"Yes. We have confirmation that they have reached connecting cave."

"As expected. Continue."

"Our efforts to stop the young ninja were unsuccessful. He overwhelmed three squads of our men with his Frogadier."

"..."

"Ma'am?"

"Captain, do you understand that our success depends on the capture and subsequent elimination of this boy, correct."

"Well, I-"

"I guarentee that our men at the Institute will be... displeased. We wouldn't want to have to recondition you, now would we?"

"N- No, ma'am. We can double our efforts. He is still a day away."

"It is too late for that, captain. I will take matters into my own hands."

"But- is that really neccessary? Surely we can find a way to spare his life?"

"Would you value his life over the world?"

"No ma'am."

"From this point, you are demoted to grunt. Do not refer to me as ma'am. I am simply Hunter. Report to sector 22-b immediately and inform the commander there of my displeasure with you."

"Yes ma'am – No, I mean Hunter."

 **Route 7**

Bzzzt.

Erin shot straight up in her sleeping bag. _What the hell was that?_

Bzzzt.

She looked down to see that her Poketch was ringing. She tiredly made a swipe to turn it off, but accidentally hit the answer button instead.

"Erin?" The voice that rang across the line was deep.

"Paul? Why the fuck are you calling me at three in the morning?" She stood up and got out of her tent. The group had stopped after a long day of walking and was camped out just outside of the cave between route 7 and Ambrette town. A quick glance around told her that nobody else had woken up.

"There's been an attack." His voice was dead. "Pidgeot is knocked out, and I have an injured boy with an injured Frogadier. Bring meds. I marked the spot on your map."

Erin's mind went blank. An attack? By who? Suddenly, she realized who it probably was.

"You said a boy with a Frogadier?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"I know that boy. His name is Sanpei. I'm coming." She switched the Poketch off.

Erin turned and surveyed the campsite. She ran over to one of the backpacks laid under a tree and rummaged around in it, coming up with a handful of potions and bandages. She stuck them in her purse, and turned to leave the campsite when she heard a noise behind her.

"What are you doing?" Erin flinched as Serena's accusing voice cut across the clearing. "Those are Clemont's things. Why are you going through them?"

Erin gritted her teeth. _I don't know what's happening, but if Sanpei is really hurt badly, then I need to get there right away._ "Look, Serena, there isn't time for this right now."

"Isn't time for what, Erin?" Serena strode across the clearing. She had a steely glint in her eye, and her fists were clenched.

"I- I can't tell you." Erin got off awkwardly.

"Just like everything else." Serena's voice was dangerously low.

"What? That's not true."

Serena stood up suddenly. "Why don't you see what's happening? As soon as I saw Ash, I knew this was MY journey. So what if some girl who looked exactly like me just happened to appear in my room?"

"Serena..." Erin said in a warning tone.

"No! I think it's about time that I say what I will! You are the problem! You show up, without a word about where you come from, with a pokedex and Druddigon seemingly out of nowhere. You claim to know the future. Erin, if you're so all-knowing, then why can't you see you're making my life a living hell?" Serena said the last sentence with such certainty that Erin felt a stab of ice go to her chest. Without another word, Serena rushed past her with tears in her eyes.

"Fuck," Erin muttered. She wasn't that bad; she couldn't be that bad. How had she screwed up this badly? _She's headed away from Paul and Sanpei. I can't abandon them, but I don't know if Serena will be okay._ She forced her self to make a split second decision, then gathered up all of the meds from the floor and dashed off in the opposite direction as Serena.

 **Route Seven, Elsewhere**

Erin burst into the clearing nearly fifteen minutes later. She had dashed all the way from their campsite. She looked around and saw two figures huddled around a fire. "Paul!" she called, and ran over.

The boy rose and looked her over. His eyes were glassy from exhaustion, and he swayed on his feet. "Took you long enough," he mumbled, before collapsing into Erin. Grunting under his weight, she caught him and set him down by the fire.

Erin gasped as she looked him over. Three deep scratches ran down the entire length of his arm, soaked in crimson blood. His clothes were mangled, and his whole body was beat up. "What happened?" she asked in a hushed tone, shocked by the blood.

"They attacked..." he murmured faintly. "Thirty of them, each with a Mightyena. They were using fatal force, Erin. They tried to kill us." His head drooped, but he managed to make out another sentence. "Don't waste your empathy on me... Save it for the other boy."

His head lolled to the side, and Erin was unable to muster any reaction other than to stare at him. Blood- She hated blood. It made her feel sick to her stomach. Feebly, she walked over to Sanpei.

The young ninja looked like he had been savaged. Claw marks covered his body, and his clothing was in tatters. Blood oozed from wounds across his body. Erin drew in a sharp breath. She had never seen anything this horrifying before.

Hand shaking, she reached out with a shaking hand and felt for a pulse. It was still there, albeit weakened considerably.

Erin sat back in horror. _I have no idea how to deal with a wound like this one. He needs to get to a pokemon center._

After thinking for a moment, she walked back over to Paul and grabbed his Pokemon belt. One by one, she let out each one. His Clauncher, knocked out. A Phantump, knocked out. A ninjask she remembered from the anime, knocked out. Finally, she found the ball she was looking for, and Pidgeot was sprawled out in front of her. She returned the others and dug around in her purse before coming up with a small golden rhombus.

She knelt by the majestic bird and she placed the revive in its mouth. Slowly, it stirred, looking at Erin. "Pi?" it asked confusedly, then noticed Paul. It started to walk over, then turned back to Erin and spread its wings menacingly.

"Stop!" Erin cried, just as it started to attack. "I'm here to help! You need to fly me and Paul and Sanpei to the pokemon center!"

"Pidg Pidgeot!" The big bird nodded its consent, then stood down.

Erin sighed in relief. _Pidgeot can fly us there. Now I just need to try and cover their wounds._

She started with Paul. With a deep gulp, she grabbed a ripped part of his shirt and pulled. It came apart, and a muscular six pack was visible underneath. Erin gulped, but the blood made her forget any notions she might have had. She took a bottle of Antiseptic from her purse and sprayed it over the deep gouges. She then tied the strip of cloth over them to cover them up.

Stepping back, she decided that it would have to do. She walked over to Sanpei, took one look at him, and she had to run for the bushes.

After she had finished puking, she slowly peeled off Sanpei's blood soaked jumpsuit. She followed the same process as she had on Paul. One cut by one, she ripped at his suit, and attempted to stop any bloodflow as best she could. Her efforts were not met with success. He was simply in such bad shape that she was unable to help him.

She walked back over to Pidgeot. "Can you carry Paul in your claws? I'll carry Sanpei with me." The bird nodded its understanding. She hoisted Sanpei up over her shoulder and she dragged him over to Pidgeot, slinging him over the bird's back. She jumped onto its back, and they were airbourne. It grabbed Paul, and they took to the sky.

Erin hunched on the bird's back as it flew to Ambrette town. _How did this happen? Could Pokemon really have done this?_ She felt Sanpei stir in front of her and cry out in pain. "Just a little bit further," she murmured.

After a short flight that had seemed like an eternity, they came to land in front of the center. The town was deserted at this hour of the morning. Erin jumped off the bird, and it laid Paul down on the ground. She ran over and shook him, and he opened his eyes. "Where am I?" he asked.

"Ambrette town," Erin said. "Come on, we have to get you inside."

Paul managed to stagger to his feet, and Erin helped him inside of the building while Pidgeot carried Sanpei. She guided him into a chair, then dashed to the reception desk.

It was empty.

"Fuck," Erin muttered. She desperately searched for a call button, and she found it on the desk. It read "For Emergencies only." She pushed it without hesitation.

Two minutes later, a tired looking Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff came dashing into the room. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Erin took a deep breath. "There are two boys in critical condition, as well as five pokemon. I found them in the woods, passed out. One said that they were attacked by thirty trainers with Mightyena."

"What!" the nurse yelled. She ran to the waiting room to find the two passed out teens. "Wigglytuff, I need two human stretchers immediately. All of their pokemon need attention as well." She turned back to Erin, and her face softened as she saw how worried Erin looked.

"Will they be okay?" Erin asked.

"Yes, but they might have not been if you hadn't gotten here so fast." Nurse Joy smiled at her. "They and their Pokemon will be cared for. You can see them in the morning. For now, though, you should get some sleep."

Erin nodded. "Are there any rooms available right now?" she asked.

"Yes, in fact, there are," Joy responded. "Go to the first room on the right once you go upstairs. There should be a bed there."

Erin nodded in gratitude. She walked upstairs, sick with worry for the two injured boys in the center. She collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

 **Serena's Perspective - Route Seven**

Serena ran through the woods. She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to get away.

Branches caught in her hair, and thickets tore at her side. She couldn't stop. She could never face Erin like that again. Her foot caught on a protruding rock, and she went flying through the air, falling face first in a creek.

For a long time, she sat there, letting the stream water soak her to the core. Finally, she dragged herself over to a nearby log, and sat there. She was angry, she was tired, she was wet, she was lost. Feeling hopeless, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Once she was out of breath, she started to cry, deep throaty sobs coming faster and faster.

 _Why? Why does my life have to be such a wreck? All I want to do is travel with Ash and be with Fennekin, but then Erin_ _showed up and all of that changed._ Almost on cue, Fennekin burst out of her Pokeball and looked up at her trainer in worry. Serena smiled weakly and picked up her starter. _Who the hell does she think she is, anyways?_

"Uh, excuse me?" A soft voice came from behind Serena. "Are you okay?"

Serena whirled around, all of her sadness and pent up anger momentarily forgotten. A girl stood behind her. She looked to be about her age. Brown hair in a pixie cut, her light green eyes pierced Serena questioningly. She was in nightclothes, but she had a belt with three pokeballs strapped around her waist.

Serena tried to muster the words to speak, but instead burst into another round of tears. Rather than trying to speak again, the girl simply sat down next to Serena and waited until she was ready to speak.

After a while, Serena spoke. "Wh- Where did you come from?" she made out in between sobs.

The girl frowned. "I was camping just over that bluff there." She pointed at a large rocky outcropping. "I heard a scream, so I went to investigate. It turned out that I was right."

"Right about what?"

"Well, you look like you could use someone to talk to." The girl stuck out her hand. "My name's Elle. What about you?"

Serena took her hand. "I'm Serena, and this is Fennekin."

"Kin!" the small fox said, still worried about her trainer. Elle reached over and stroked Fennekin's head.

"Her fur is beautiful," she said longingly. "You must take wonderful care of her."

"Th- Thank you," Serena stammered. "I brush it every night."

"Well, it certainly shows." Elle smiled at her, and she couldn't help but to smile back. "Would you like to meet my partner?"

"Sure."

"Alright." Elle reached down and grabbed a pokeball off her belt. "Skitty, come on out!" In a flash, a small pink cat appeared on her lap. It yawned, stretched, curled into a little ball, and fell asleep. "Really? Why are you always asleep?" She cried, and threw her hands in the air.

Serena giggled, then remembered what had happened and sombered back up.

Elle frowned, and looked at her. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" she asked seriously.

Serena hesitated, then launched into a full reaccounting of what had happened. She didn't know why, but she felt like she could trust Elle. She told her everything, starting from when Erin had appeared, to when they had found the egg. She talked about the gym battle, Fletchling evolving, and the egg hatching. She ended with the events of the past two days.

"... and she's just been so mean. I mean, she just appears one day, and then the next she's just a part of my life. I know something is wrong here. People don't just appear. She knows things before they happen, and I don't know why. I just wish she would leave me alone."

Elle was silent for a moment. "I think I know how you feel, Ser. Is it okay if I call you that?"

"Yeah, but what do you mean?" Serena was confused.

"Well, when I was a kid, I had these three great friends. We did all kinds of stuff together." Elle seemed to be breifly lost in thought. "Well, when we were fourteen, about a year ago, we were given the oppertunity to get our starter Pokemon. My friends were each able to choose a Kanto starter, but I was left out. Professor Sycamore was nice, though, and he let me have this Skitty that he had caught."

Serena was confused. "So what went wrong?"

"Well, my best friend became a bitch, that's what happened. She was a jerk where she used to be supportive, and neither of my other friends noticed. One night, it was just too much, so I got up and left. I haven't seen any of them since." Elle's words caught on the last sentence.

Serena was at a loss for words. She couldn't even imagine just leaving Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie like that. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Elle forced out a laugh. "I'm better off without them anyways. What about you? What are you going to do?"

Serena considered that for a moment. "I think I'm going to go and try to make up with Erin."

Elle raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure? You could travel with me if you want. What you described, albeit being more than a little bizzare, still sounded pretty bad."

Serena knew her answer before she finished the question. "No, I couldn't just leave Ash like that." She had meant it to feel more inclusive towards the whole group, but it didn't come out like that.

"You have a crush on him." It was a statement, not a question, and Serena blushed deeply as an answer. Elle sighed deeply. "Well, you're in no state to go tramping back through the woods tonight. Come to my camp. I have a spare set of nightclothes you can use, and an extra sleeping bag."

"Thank you," Serena said. She followed Elle back to her camp, changed, and got into the extra sleeping bag.

"'Night, Elle."

"'Night, Ser."

The campsite went dark.


	11. The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 11: The Calm Before the Storm

 **[A/N] This chapter is super dialogue heavy. I'm really sorry about that, but the build up to the chapter after this took me signifigantly longer than I expected. The next chapter will be action heavy, and the two after that will be gym battles, so hopefully that will be enough action to tide everyone over. Thank you Oyashiko and SlytherinBtch for reviewing, and to DrafteeDragon and the amourshipping guest for your continued support. Your feedback really means a lot to me. On that note, here's chapter 11. (Note: I don't own Pokemon)**

 **Erin's Perspective – Ambrette Town**

The morning sun shone in through the small Pokemon center window. Erin stirred. She sat up and blearily rubbed her eyes, before she remembered what had happened last night.

"Ohmigod. Paul. Is Paul okay?" she said out loud, not even realizing it. She quickly got out of bed and realized that she was still in her clothes from last night. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her clothes looked like they had been in a war zone, with bloodstains strewn across the front.

She sighed, rummaged through her bag, and drew from it her worn brown belt with her two pokeballs attached. Strapping it on, she admired it in the mirror. _At least with this on I look somewhat like a trainer._

Erin grabbed her purse and quickly made her way out of her room. She walked down the carpeted center stairs and into the lobby. Heads turned to stare at her bedraggled appearence as she walked over to Nurse Joy.

"Good morning," she said to the bubblegum-haired woman, who was hunched over a desktop terminal.

Nurse Joy turned and gaped at her. "Look at your clothes!" she gasped. "Don't you have anything else?"

Erin ducked her head mareepishly. "Sorry, I left it all at my camp on Route 7."

Nurse Joy clucked in disapproval. "Well, that simply won't do. Follow me, I'm sure that we can find you something to change into." She motioned Erin into a back room.

Erin followed her and shut the door behind them Nurse Joy searched through a sealed box in the corner before coming up with something. It was a bright pink dress with a pokeball design embossed across the front. "Sorry," she apologized, "but this all that I have."

"Thank you," Erin said gratefully. She grabbed the uniform and made to leave the broom closet, then her worry overtook her. "Are Paul and Sanpei going to be alright?"

Nurse Joy frowned. "Are those your friends? Well, the one that only had claw marks on his arms will be fine. He should be ready to go before midday."

Erin breathed out a sigh of relief. _Paul's okay._

"On the other hand," Nurse Joy continued, "your other friend is still in critical condition. He lost a lot of blood, and some of his wounds are infected. We can see what we can do for him, but we may have to transfer him to Cyllage City if he's going to live."

"What!" Erin exclaimed. "How are you going to get him there? There's a solid twenty miles of beach in between here and there."

Joy sighed. "I don't know. We'll figure something out." Her voice softened. "I'm sorry, but we've all had a tough night. Why don't you go change, and I can show you where your friends are."

Erin nodded and went back up to her room.

 **Later**

The sterile room was stuffy. The low beep of medical equipment continually rang out. Two twin beds were on opposite sides of the room, with a curtain separating them.

Erin quietly tip-toed into the room so as to not disturb either of the sleeping patients. Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff were huddled over Sanpei. Erin gulped and walked over to them.

"How's he holding up?" she asked.

Nurse Joy paused and turned to her. "We managed to get rid of some of the infection, but he's still not looking good."

Erin frowned and nodded. _How could something like this have even happened? Why were they even attacked in the first place? Something is happening here._

Shuddering, she walked over to Paul's bed. Sitting down at his side, she swept a stray strand of hair from his face. A flash came from the table next to Erin, and Paul's Pidgeot appeared. Completely healed, it looked concernedly at its trainer.

Erin rested a hand on Pidgeot's folded wing. "It's going to be alright," she murmured, more to herself than to Pidgeot. "It's all going to be alright."

Suddenly, she had an idea. She grabbed Paul's hand and turned it so that it was palm down. "Pidgeot, use hidden power!" she commanded.

The giant bird cooed and spread its wings. A soft green light emanated from its body, washing over the room in waves. Erin glanced back to see if Nurse Joy was watching. Satisfied that she hadn't moved, she intently stared at the black mark that was branded onto it.

 _Ironic that we're in the same position, just switched._ It had been two weeks since Paul had first shown her their matching marks. Erin knew they meant something; that much was obvious. She just wished that she knew what.

A halting breath came from Paul. She watched as he stirred and opened his eyes blearily. "Erin?" he asked weakly.

"Paul, you're awake!" Erin exclaimed. She turned around and nodded at Pidgeot, and the hidden power gradually faded away from the room.

"Wh- where am I?" he mumbled, awkwardly pushing himself into an upright position with his good arm. The other was buried under a swathe of bandages.

"You're at the Ambrette Town Pokemon center," Erin responded. "Pidgeot flew you and Sanpei here. You passed out at the campsite from blood loss."

Paul rubbed his eyes, and surveyed the room. His eyes went over the curtain, then to Pidgeot, and finally to Erin. A flash of surprise crossed his face, but was gone so fast Erin thought that she might have been seeing things. "Why are you wearing one of Nurse Joy's dresses?"

"Why?" Erin snapped without meaning to, "My clothes were all covered in blood. What else was I supposed to wear?"

Paul's only response was to sigh. He gave a slight nod to Pidgeot, and the majestic bird cooed in pleasure. He looked back to Erin. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why not?" she shot back.

"Your friends will be looking for you," he said, turning his head to face the window.

Erin shook her head. "Paul, don't you get it? I'm your friend."

"Erin, look," he said exasperatedly. "You can't honestly think that you can just disappear in the middle of the night and not have them be worried about you."

She geared up for another argument, but realized that he was right. She sighed and changed tack. "But what if Sanpei needs to be moved? Nurse Joy said that his injuries might be to serious for her. I need to help them."

Paul massaged his brow with his good arm. "Take Pidgeot. It seems like it likes you. I can message you if he's going to be moved."

 _He's impossible. He just doesn't understand other people, does he?_ "Paul, I can't just leave you alone. You're hurt."

He growled angrily. "Erin, I'll be fine. Just go!"

Erin shook her head. "Come with me."

Paul was caught off guard. "What?"

"You heard me, Paul. Come with me. Aren't you tired of this? You've been sneaking around Ash for what, a month now? Aren't you ready to just come clean to him?"

"No." His face had settled into a glacial impasse.

"Why not? Why are you so scared of Ash Ketchum?"

Paul whirled his head around, causing Erin to jump back. "Because I'm weak, that's why! Do you have any idea what all of this has been like for me?"

Erin could only shake her head.

Paul kept going. "I woke up one day in a strange house, and I couldn't remember anything but my Pokemon and Ash Ketchum. All of my Pokemon are gone, Erin! Gone! The only one I have left is Ninjask, and he lost to Ash in seconds. I could never hope to face up to him."

"Paul, listen," Erin pleaded.

"No! I know better to challenge someone who I could never beat. I'm pathetic, Erin, and I'd be deceiving myself if I said anything else." He practically spat the last sentence before closing his eyes.

The room was deathly silent. Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff had emerged from behind the curtain to listen to his outburst. Pidgeot looked saddened, and its head drooped. Erin, on the other hand, was fuming. She stepped up and slapped him.

"Ow!" Paul yelled, "What was that for?"

"You just don't get it, do you?" she growled.

He looked confused. "Get what?"

Erin rolled her eyes at him. "When I met you, I honestly thought that you had gotten better. You had stopped being cruel to your Pokemon. I get it now. You turned it all on your self." She walked over to the windowsill, gripping the cool metal. "Ash may not force his Pokemon to perfection, but he also doesn't force himself. He wins because he believes he can win!"

Paul sat silent, and for a long time she stared out over the peaceful ocean town. Finally, he said "Just take Pidgeot and go. I'll be gone before you get back. You can tend to Sanpei with them."

"But, Paul..."

"Just go!"

Erin grabbed Pidgeot's pokeball and stormed out of the room as the bird disappeared in a red flash.

The door slammed shut behind her.

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 7**

"Achoo!"

Serena was woken up by a vicious sneeze. She opened her eyes to see a fluffy pink tail dangling in front of her eyes. For a brief second, she was unsure of where she was. Then she remembered: she was in Elle's camp.

Yawning and stretching, she carefully reached up and moved the sleeping Skitty off of her head and onto the warm pillow. Now unhindered by small Pokemon, she sat up and looked around the tent. Fennekin was stretched out next to her, sleeping peacefully. Skitty was curled up into a tight little ball, sleeping peacefully. She searched around the room for Elle, but only saw an empty sleeping bag.

Serena tiredly exited the tent and made her way over to the nearby picnic table. Looking up, she could see that it was already well into the day.

"Surprise!" She whirled around to see Elle, who was holding a greasy spatula. She had a goofy grin plastered all over her face, and Serena sweatdropped at the state of her clothes. "I made us breakfast!"

Serena laughed. "That's so sweet of you!"

Elle reached down to her belt and drew two more pokeballs. "Go, Swirlix and Petlil! Time for breakfast!" In two flashes, the two Pokemon appeared out in front of them. One looked like a cotton candy, and the other looked like a bulb.

"Wow!" Serena exclaimed, "So you have Pokemon other than Skitty!" She reached in her back pocket for her pokedex, but came up empty-handed. _I must have left it back at the camp._

Elle looked at her funnily. "You don't?"

Suddenly, the air was very awkward. "Well, you see..."

Elle raised her hand up. "Hey, I get it. We'll just have to catch you one!" She looked very excited at the notion.

Serena, on the other hand, had her doubts. "Well, I don't know... Shouldn't we be getting back to Ash and the others?"

Elle laughed. "Oh, stop worrying and eat some pancakes. I never said that it had to happen now, after all." She reached over, grabbed a pancake, and shoved it in her face, eating ravenously. "Here," she mumbled through a mouthful of food, shoving the plate towards here.

"Elle!" Serena exclaimed, half laughing and half scolding. "You know you should try to be polite." She took a pancake and took a delicate nibble out of it just to prove her point. Elle rolled her eyes as all of her Pokemon and Fennekin gathered around the table. Fennekin ate just like Serena, but Elle's Pokemon had no such reservations.

Around a half hour later, Serena and Elle had packed up the camp and cleaned up from breakfast. "Thank you so much for everything, Elle," Serena thanked her.

"Hey," the other girl said, "it was no problem."

"So where are you going from here?" Serena asked.

Elle shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really do anything in particular. I just search for new pokemon and do whatever sounds good. We were headed to the beach to do some high-quality sunbathing." She winked at that. "What about you? Why are you traveling?"

Serena blushed. "Well, I don't really do anything either. I'm traveling with Ash. He's challenging all of the gyms so he can enter the Kalos league."

Elle nodded in understanding, then her eyes lit up. "Hey, I know!"

"What?" Serena was confused.

"We could travel together! I mean, neither one of us has anything better to do, and traveling with Ash sounds exciting." Elle looked excited at the idea.

"Sure!" Serena said. Then a doubtful look came into her eyes. "We have to find them first, though. Knowing Ash, he's probably lost by now."

 **Later**

"Ash!" Serena yelled.

They had hiked through the woods for an hour before stumbling back on Ash's camp. Now they walked in to find Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont all looking very worried.

"Serena?" Ash responded. "Where were you?"

"Yeah," Clemont added. "We all woke up and you and Erin were both gone."

"We were really worried!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Serena frowned. "Erin isn't back yet?"

Ash shook his head, then looked over Serena's shoulder to see Elle. "Hey, who are you?" he asked.

Elle stepped forwards, blushing slightly. "Oh, hi. I'm Elle."

Ash reached out and shook her hand. "I'm Ash. It's nice to meet you."

"And I'm Bonnie, and this is my big brother, Clemont."

The five of them sat and exchanged pleasantries before a piercing cry from above interrupted them.

"Pidgeeeoooottt!"

A giant bird swooped down and landed in the clearing. Serena gaped as Erin jumped off of its back. She looked beat up and haggard, with messy hair. She also was inexplicably wearing a nursing outfit.

"Erin?" Serena asked, stepping forwards. "What did you have to do last night, and why do you have a Pidgeot?"

Erin shook her head. "There's no time to explain. There's a severely injured boy named Sanpei at the Ambrette Town Pokemon center, and he's going to be moved to Cyllage City before nightfall. Come on, we have to hurry!"


	12. A Draconic Blast of Danger!

Chapter 12: A Draconic Blast of Danger

 **[A/N] Hey everyone. Sorry that this chapter is so late, but I had spring break and good stuff like that. Next chapter is Ash's second gym battle! I have more to say about this one, but I put it at the bottom, so read the chapter first. Other than that, I have some reviews to respond to.**

 _ **LaLaMachine**_ **-** **Thank you for reviewing. Your review is the first flames that I've even gotten. :** **) In response to your concerns, I agree with you. Erin is similar to Serena – in the first chapter. She is also not a self-insert, despite what you may think. Pretty much everything in this story will tie together, just not until after the first main arc. I do hope that you keep reading, though. You may be pleasantly surprised.**

 _ **DrafteeDragon**_ **– Thank you for supporting me! I plan to see this story to the end, which will be the Kalos League.**

 _ **Amourshipping Guest**_ **– In response to your question,** **Serena will find out before everyone else, then Paul, then Elle. Don't expect it for a while, though, although Serena will gradually find out, which has been happening since chapter one.**

 **With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please R &R. Criticism is just as welcome as praise, so have at it! (Note: I don't own Pokemon)** **  
**

 **Erin's Perspective – Ambrette Town**

The door to the Pokemon center burst open with a bang. Erin dashed in, looked around, and disappeared up a nearby stairway. She opened a door at the end of the hall and disappeared inside.

Nurse Joy was exactly where she had left her, huddled over Sanpei's still body. Wigglytuff was sprawled out over a bench in the corner, apparently taking a nap. Paul's bed was empty. As she came in, Nurse Joy raised her head to look at her blearily.

"How is he?" Erin asked breathlessly. As she spoke, Elle and Ash came in behind her panting heavily.

"He's not doing good," Nurse Joy mumbled. "His wounds are infected and they aren't healing properly." Her words slurred together, and as she spoke, her shoulders slumped a bit.

"Nurse Joy?" Ash asked, "Are you okay? We can get you a coffee or something." Elle nodded in agreement.

Nurse Joy mumbled something incoherent. Erin responded for her. "Yeah, can you take her to the kitchen? I have a feeling today isn't quite over yet."

Ash and Elle nodded and they disappeared back out of the room escorting Nurse Joy. Erin walked over to the bed and looked down at the boy lying in it.

Sanpei looked better than he did the night before, but not by much. Many of the smaller gashes were sewn up, but two particularly large ones were still open. They had pus at the bottom and smelled like festering flesh. Erin sank down next to his prone figure and brushed a stray lock of hair aside. "Who would use Pokemon for violence like this? If Paul hadn't been there, he would be dead." She whispered it, barely audible.

"Erin?" a soft voice came from the door. She turned around to see Serena hesitantly clinging to the doorframe. "Can I come in? Ash said you were up here."

Distractedly, Erin said "Yeah." She didn't look up as Serena cautiously walked over to near where she was.

"Can I see him?" Serena tentatively asked. Erin nodded, and Serena came over and sat down next to her. She gasped in horror as she saw the exposed wounds, and Erin could feel her tense. "Wh-what happened?"

Erin closed her eyes. "Someone tried to kill him."

Serena buried her face in her hands. "But, that's horrible. Why would someone want to do that?"

"I don't know."

The two of them sat there for a long time. Erin draped her arm over Serena's shoulder, and Serena rested her head against Erin's. After a long while, Nurse Joy came back in, stopping short at the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

Erin looked up at her. "No, of course not. When is he getting moved to Cyllage?"

Nurse Joy frowned. Although she looked more awake than she did before, she still had deep bags under her eyes. "I need to do some last minute care, but fifteen minutes."

Erin nodded. Serena still had a blank shell-shocked expression on her face. She grabbed Serena's hand and led her to a bench outside of the room. For a long while, they just sat there.

"I'm sorry."

Startled, Erin looked up at her. "Why?"

Serena shook her head. "I- I wish I had known what had happened. I overreacted last night, and, and, this is all my fault." Erin could see tears starting to came to her eyes, and she took action.

"Stop it!" she cried, and Serena seemed to momentarily stop getting upset. "If this is anyone's fault, it's mine. I started this all by teasing you, and I didn't tell you where I was going. I've been the problem, not you."

Silence. Finally, Serena asked "Why are you here?"

Erin was caught off guard. "I don't know. You know just as well as I do that I don't belong here."

Serena looked confused. "So where do you come from?"

Erin was gearing up to answer, but Nurse Joy came out of the room wheeling a stretcher with Sanpei on it. "We need to move now," she said. Erin and Serena nodded, and they followed Nurse Joy out of the building.

Nurse Joy pulled a set of keys out of her pocket and pressed a button on a clicker. With a creaking groan, a previously unnoticed door slid open to reveal a slick ambulance that looked unused.

"Whoa," Erin gasped. "I didn't know centers had those!"

Nurse Joy nodded in acknowledgment. "Not many people do yet. They're brand new from the region south of Kalos. These beauties are going to save a lot of lives." A sleek ramp slid down, and Nurse Joy slid the stretcher on to the back of the ambulance. The rest of the group came running out of the center, and they gasped as they saw the sleek car.

"How are we all going to get there?" Erin asked in concern.

Nurse Joy frowned. "Well, I need to drive, and one person can ride shotgun, then there's room for five in the back, and I need Wigglytuff to help keep Sanpei alive. One person can't come."

Erin nodded. "That's okay. I can fly with Pidgeot." Everyone else in the group nodded with agreement.

As a wailing siren filled the air and the ambulance pulled out of the garage, Pidgeot appeared in a red flash. Erin dashed up to it and whispered in it's ear. "Okay, follow that ambulance." Pidgeot cooed softly, and Erin stroked its flank. "I promise you'll see Paul right after this, I swear." She quickly mounted the majestic bird, and they took off after the ambulance.

The Kalos coast was truly a majestic site to behold. Miles of azure coast stretched out down the long length of route eight. Sandy beach and rocky shore were populated by thousands of beach goers, many of which seemed alarmed by the sudden appearance of an ambulance.

Erin zoomed along the coast after the ambulance. She nodded in satisfaction. As far as she could tell, everything seemed to be going smoothly. It seemed like they would get there in time.

Disaster struck.

"Salamance, use Hyper Beam!"

From the sky above Erin, a powerful beam of purple energy shot towards the ambulance. Narrowly missing, it cut a deep gouge in the ground behind it. The vehicle swerved and came to a stop, with all of its doors flying open. Erin watched as all of her friends dashed out, with Wigglytuff wheeling Sanpei out.

A deep shadow fell over from above. As Erin gaped upwards, a giant airship appeared out of nowhere. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, and it was absolutely massive. "What the hell?" she yelled as loud as she could.

A magnified female voice rang out over the coast. "You have what we want. Give us the boy, and we will not be force to hurt you."

Erin motioned Pidgeot with her leg, and they zoomed down to her friends. Landing, she leaped off, and grabbed Druddigon's pokeball off of her belt. Tossing it into the air, the dragon appeared with a massive roar. "What do you want with Sanpei?" she retorted.

Ash stepped up next to her, and released Fletchinder and Froaky. "We wont let you get him!"

Druddigon's roar still echoed in the distance. Suddenly, a massive response came in the form of a roar that shook the ground. A door in the belly of the ship opened, and five black-clad men jumped out. Each one threw up two pokeballs, releasing ten Mightyena. A giant blue dragon swooped down from inside, with a notorious white haired woman standing on its back. The reaction was instantaneous.

"You're the one who attacked the bus!" Serena cried.

"You!" Erin screamed.

Elle, Clemont, and Bonnie all looked clueless, but a look that was something between burning hatred and fear showed on Ash's face. "I though you were dead!"

The woman laughed. "You children honestly thought that Cyrus didn't have a backup plan? That future sight didn't kill me. Cyrus brought me back, of course. I killed him after that. He knew better than to go against our contract."

Everyone gaped at that, but Ash only narrowed his eyes. "Fletchinder, flame charge. Froaky, water pulse. Pikachu, electro ball."

As the three attacks zoomed towards Salamance, it simply used protect and the attacks were absorbed. With that, the silence was broken. The entire beach erupted into the calamity of battle.

Erin remembered J having some sort of cannon from the anime that could be neutralized by using hidden power. "Pidgeot, protect us with hidden power! Druddigon, knock that thing out of the sky with dragon rage." As a green glow surrounded Erin and her Pokemon, a beam of energy shot towards Salamance, who took it. It responded with another hyper beam, and Erin dove out of the way.

 **Serena's Perspective**

Clemont, Elle, and Serena were fending off all of the Mightyena. A barrage of ranged attacks from their Pokemon were glancing harmlessly off of a wall of protect. As Chespin, Bunnelby, Skitty, Fennekin, Flabebe, and Petlil stopped attacking, a row of dark pulses barreled towards them. The first four were able to get out of the way, but Petlil was hit and instantly knocked out.

"Petlil!" Elle cried. She grabbed her pokeball and returned the small Pokemon. Desperately, she looked over at Serena. "We have to get Sanpei and Bonnie away from here, otherwise we're screwed. They aren't safe here."

Serena and Clemont both nodded. The three of them ran over to the stretcher, where nurse Joy guarded it and Bonnie was huddled. She was sobbing hysterically. "What's happening, brother? Why are they attacking us?"

Clemont sat down next to her. "Shh, it's going to be okay. We need to run. Can you do that for me?"

Bonnie stood up stubbornly and nodded. She put another hand over the purse holding Dedene and grabbed onto the stretcher.

Nurse Joy walked up to them. "Take Sanpei and go! I can hold them off. Ambrette town is only a short bit away." She reached to her belt and drew another pokeball. Throwing it, a Floette appeared floating above the beach.

One of the black clad men growled. "Don't let them get away! Mightyena, charge!" The pack of ten black dogs dashed forwards.

Nurse Joy looked back one last time. "Go!" She cried. Turning her head back to the action, she commanded both Pokemon to use dazzling gleam. The beach flashed bright white, and all of the Mightyena stopped in their tracks. The combined attacks were so powerful that matching roars could be heard from Druddigon and Salamance, who were further away.

Serena grabbed a hold of the stretcher and dashed down the beach. "Ash," she murmured quietly. "I hope you're alright."

 **Erin's Perspective**

"Druddigon, jump and use dragon claw!" Erin yelled. The blue and red dragon leaped into the sky and brought glowing green claws down on the other dragon's flank.

"Counter with your own dragon claw." The two attacks collided in midair. "Now use steel wing." Hunter J's face was merciless, and all of her focus was on attacking her target. The giant flying dragon's wings turned silver, and it brought them down with a massive swoop.

"Quick, counter with dragon tail." Erin called. Druddigon swung around and blocked the massive wing.

Ash, who had been watching the whole encounter, sprung into action. "Come on, let's help Erin! Fletchinder, carry Froaky up, then use flame charge. Pikachu, wait down here, okay?"

J growled as Fletchinder sped towards Salamance. "I grow tired of these games. Salamance, seismic toss then outrage."

Erin's eyes widened at the power of those attacks. "Druddigon, don't let it throw you! Hold on with thunder fang and dragon claw!"

Fletchinder and Froaky flew right past J as she leaped off of Salamance and down to the sand below, landing effortlessly despite the massive drop. Salamance went into a nose dive as Druddigon latched onto it. The flying dragon screamed out in agony at the super-effective attacks as they plummeted to the ground. Druddigon could not hold on, but Salamance could not stay airborne, and the two dragons went head over heels.

J grinned in satisfaction. "Outrage, now!"

The two dragons turned purple, and Salamance began to thrash violently. It was clear to Erin that Druddigon was taking a lot of damage and would most likely faint. She started to panic, then had an idea. "Pidgeot, use mirror move!"

The bird cooed in acknowledgment, and zoomed towards the entangled dragon. It glowed purple and slammed into the dragons at max speed, creating a massive explosion. When the dust cleared, both Salamance and Druddigon were knocked out. Pidgeot was swaying on its feet, barely standing.

Erin stepped forwards. "The game is over, J. You lost, and Cyrus is gone. There's nothing for you to fight for."

J's face twisted nastily. "Cyrus was nothing more than a pawn for the Institute. And the game has just begun. I believe you may recognize this Pokemon."

She drew two pokeballs, a normal one and a master ball. With the normal one, she returned Salamance, and with the other, she released a blue and white feathered Pokemon who glared daggers into Pikachu.

"Latios!" Erin shrieked.

Ash looked angry. "Why do you have Tobias's Latios?"

J shrugged. "He was a danger, and he didn't know how to control his Pokemon, so I relieved him of them." She pointed at Pidgeot, Froaky, and Fletchinder. "Luster Purge."

Pidgeot was exhausted, and Froaky and Fletchinder were both relatively untrained. None could withstand the massive beam of energy from the legendary Pokemon.

Erin gulped and returned Pidgeot and Druddigon, and Ash did the same for Froaky and Fletchinder. "You won't get away with this!"

J jumped impossibly high into the air, and Latios flew under her to catch her. Pikachu launched a thunderbolt, but it was easily dodged. In a sickeningly sweet tone, J said "Thank you for your cooperation. I'm sure your friend will be of great service to us." With that, Latios sped off, leaving Ash, Erin, and Pikachu in the dust.

 **Serena's Perspective**

They had been running for a solid fifteen minutes when they heard the explosion. Looking back, Serena could see smoke rising from under the imposing figure of the massive aircraft. She let out a small whimper. "I hope Erin and Ash are okay."

Clemont put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be okay. We all believe in Ash, remember?"

Serena nodded, comforted. She turned back to her destination. Cyllage City was beautiful, with graceful buildings rising up on high limestone cliffs. However, the situation was too dire for her to truly appreciate it.

Suddenly, a blue blur shot past them. "What was that?" Elle asked nervously.

"Latios, Luster Purge!"

A brilliant beam of energy slammed into the stretcher. All of the Pokemon were instantly knocked out. Elle and Serena jumped out of the way, and Clemont shielded Bonnie with his own body. Sanpei was flung aside like a rag doll.

When the smoke cleared, Serena could see J, lowly chuckling. "I can't believe such puny trainers could actually try to stand again me. I'll take the boy now." She lifted a device attached to her arm and pointed it at Sanpei's prone form. She shot out one low blast, aimed directly at him.

The instant it struck his body, he began to glow. He shrunk and his pose changed until he was a small stone statue, which J walked over and grabbed.

Serena blacked out as J walked back over to Latios and flew back to her airship.

 **[A/N] So… Hunter J. She is ridiculously powerful in the anime, as well as ridiculously evil. I stand by my decision to give her Latios. Tobias has always seemed like he would be a target for any crime organization, considering he has six legendaries. Let me know if you think I overdid it.**


	13. Climbing the Walls: Part One

Chapter 13: Climbing the Walls – Part One

 **[A/N] Welcome back to another chapter of Serena's Sister, and boy is this one a big one. I decided that I needed to split it in half so that it stayed reasonably short. I mean, 4500 words is crazy long for me. I put a lot of work into the gym battle, and I hope it came out okay.**

 **Once the second half of this chapter is posted, the first major arc of plot in this story will be finished! I love the anime in between Cyllage and Shalour city! Expect the workings of plot to finally start appearing, as well as some actual steps towards Amour! Stay posted for that, and hit the follow button if you liked what you heard. Now, some responses to reviews:**

 ** _Guest #1_ \- I appreciate your feedback a lot! Those legendaries will become plot relevant eventually, but I have a work-around planned for the time being until Ash and Erin are actually ready to face them.**

 _ **Amourshipping Guest –**_ **Thank you for the feedback as always! As to J having died... (** ** _Evil Laugh)_ Maybe not so much.**

 _ **Draftee Dragon –**_ **Your reviews are awesome as always! :) I actually wrote the last chapter in less time than I usually do, because I had no computer for several days, but thank you for the compliment anyways**

 **Gosh, these Author Notes are getting long. Do I still need to say I don't own Pokemon? (Disclaimer: See last sentence)**

 **Erin's Perspective – Cyllage City**

The room was dark inside of the police station. A round table was set up and eight people were seated around it. It was almost ten at night, and Erin was exhausted. She could barely comprehend the events of the last day, and she wanted nothing more than to slump down onto the table and sleep. Looking around her at all of her friends, she could see their expressions matched hers, with many haggard faces.

"So let me get this straight," Officer Jenny said, leaning back in her chair with a deep sigh. "You were attacked by Hunter J, who was presumed dead after the Mt. Corronet crisis in Sinnoh two years ago. She attacked you and kidnapped a boy, who was previously attacked last night, after which she escaped in her invisible airship?"

Everyone around the table nodded in agreement. Erin spoke up. "Officer, that's not all. She also killed two people a while ago, a man named Cyrus and a trainer named Tobias. She has a stolen Latios in her possesion."

Jenny raised her eyebrow. "How'd she get a Latios?" she mused aloud. Then she shook her head. "Well, kids, I have to thank you for the report. You brought us five men, all of whom have a criminal record and are wanted."

"Officer Jenny?" a small voice piped up. Bonnie looked very small sitting in her chair next to her brother. "What about Sanpei? I'm really worried. Will he be alright?"

"Yes, I must agree with Bonnie," Nurse Joy added. "Sanpei was in critical condition, and we were attempting to transfer him to Cyllage city to continue his care. I worried that if he has been captured, without proper care, he may die."

Officer Jenny frowned. "I'm sorry, Joy, Bonnie, but I just can't say for sure. If he has been captured, we can't know."

Ash grimaced. "I've dealt with J before. If there's anything I know, she cares about the money more than anything. If she wanted Sanpei dead, she would have killed him," he said angrily.

A somber silence was broken by Bonnie yawning. Clemont frowned at her. "Officer Jenny, I hope you'll excuse us if we return to the center. It's far past her bedtime, and she needs to get to sleep."

Jenny nodded. "From what I've heard here, it sounds like you all could use a good rest. You're dismissed. I'll file your report."

 **Erin's Perspective – The Next Day**

Erin sat on the Pokemon center roof, deep in thought. The dawn light was obscured by the mountains behind her, and she looked out over the illuminated ocean set out in front of her.

 _Have I started this butterfly effect? None of this was supposed to happen. Is everything happening because of me?_

She could hear the swoosh of air behind her, but she didn't look back. She could feel a presence moving behind her, and she drew an object from her purse. She tossed it back over her shoulder, and the person caught it.

"Pidgeot's pokeball," she said curtly.

Paul sighed, and he walked down the roof and sat beside her. A flash was heard as Pidgeot disappeared back into his pokeball. "That was foolish of you."

Erin looked over and smiled thinly. "I didn't see you helping with her Salamance."

Paul scowled. "Look, I'm done talking about this. I'm not walking in Ash Ketchum's shadow." He drew a pokeball from his belt and fiddled with it nervously.

"Paul, I don't care. You're my friend, and I care about you!" Erin was getting worked up again. "You know just as well as I do that you abandoned someone who you risked your life for. Why can't you see that Ash would welcome you if you just tried to let him in?"

Paul just scowled and turned away. Erin sighed and turned back to the sunset. After a long while, Erin couldn't hold her thoughts in anymore. "She killed them."

"Huh?"

Erin narrowed her eyes at the horizon. "Hunter J killed Cyrus and Tobias."

Now all of a sudden Paul was up and alert. "What? How do you know?"

Erin bowed her head. "She told me and Ash."

"But- How? Tobias was so strong, he beat everybody but Ash and Cynthia with only his Darkrai!" Paul looked stunned, and Erin remained silent. "Wait, but that means that she and her employer have six legendaries!" Erin nodded, and the silence was deafening.

"There's nothing that we can do now. We just have to wait and see if Jenny can track them down." she sighed.

"..."

"..."

"So, what are you going to do for your gym battle?"

Erin was surprised by the question. "Well, I only have Druddigon and Deerling, and I know Grant has an Onyx, a Tyrunt, and an Amura. However, he could use literally any rock Pokemon in existance, so I don't really know. He'll probably use Onyx and Tyrunt against Ash, so we'll have to see."

Paul frowned. "Don't tell me you think Deerling can actually battle with that pathetic moveset?"

"What did you just say?" Erin's voice was dangerously low.

Paul didn't loose a step. "It has learned new moves, right?"

Erin was still on the defensive. "Of course! Deerling and I have been training hard for this! She learned razor leaf and quick attack!"

"What if she looses? Can Druddigon take on two Pokemon?" Paul had a glint in his eye, and Erin couldn't quite identify it. Was it anger? Discontent?

"I believe in Druddigon. Plus, he's probably way stronger than Grant."

Paul raised his eyebrow at that. "Believe me, I wouldn't be too sure of that."

"Are you trying to break my confidence?" Erin asked, raising her eyebrow.

Paul shook his head. "No, I'm trying to help you. I've seen rock tomb before. It's a devastating move, and you need to have a counter. I'm not so worried about Druddigon, but Deerling may have trouble. Do you have any ideas?"

Erin stopped and though about it for a moment, then she shook her head. How could she have no ideas whatsoever? She had watched Ash's battle with Grant lots of times. How did she literaly have nothing?

Paul rose and tossed his pokeball, revealing Pidgeot. "Here, hop on. I have some ideas, but I want to go somewhere private before I show them to Deerling."

Erin was surprised, but she nodded in agreement and got onto Pidgeot after Paul did. The two of them flew away from Cyllage city and out to route eight.

 **Serena's Perspective – Cyllage City**

Serena woke up. The early morning light filtered in through the shaded window. She could feel Fennekin's warm body curled up against her own. With a happy sigh, she cuddled up with her Pokemon, burrying herself deep underneath of her covers. The darkness of yesterday seemed so far away when she was in bed. She never wanted to get out of it. She would just stay here forever.

 _Ash._

Smiling slightly, she pushed the thought away. Of course she wouldn't leave Ash for something so silly. Pushing the covers off of her bed, she sat up and pushed messy locks of hair out of her face.

"Fen!" Her small Pokemon was happily looking up at her.

She gave Fennekin a warm smile. "Good morning Fennekin!"

"I thought that you'd never wake up." Serena looked over to see Elle sitting in a corner. She was already dressed, and was softly brushing Skitty's fur.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're up early."

Elle gave something that looked like a half smile, then turned back to her Pokemon. "I had trouble sleeping. Ash and Erin are having their gym battles today."

Serena was surprised at that. "Really? Even after everything that happened yesterday?"

Elle just nodded. Serena frowned and started to get ready for the rest of the day. Fennekin followed her around the center room as she tidied up. Finally, Elle spoke up.

"It doesn't make sense."

"Huh?" Serena looked over at Elle. She looked... intense. She hadn't noticed that her eyes were grey before, but they had a piercing look in them.

"Well, think about it. One day, a group of men attacks with the intent to kill Sanpei. The next, that awful hunter comes with the same minions. Instead of killing him though, which she had the chance to do, she captures him. It doesn't add up."

Serena frowned. "I don't know, I just hope that Sanpei will be okay."

Elle nodded, as if that had been her thought the entire time, and her demeanor lightened. "Well, there's nothing that we can do about it on an empty stomach! Let's go eat breakfast!"

They walked downstairs and over to the eating area to see Ash, Bonnie and Clemont waiting for them. Ash looked vaguely like a chipmunk, as his face was stuffed so full with food that he was unable to speak. Bonnie looked up, somewhat subdued, as she said "Good morning."

Serena took one look at Ash and burst out in laughter. "What?" he protested loudly through a giant mouthful of food.

"Nothing," she choked out. _That's Ash, for sure._

"Where's Erin?" Clemont asked.

Serena frowned and looked around, confirming that she was nowhere to be found. She was about to make a worried comment, but Elle beat her to the punch. "It's her first gym battle ever. I'm sure she's training really hard right now."

"Oh yeah!" Ash yelled. "I need to train for my battle. Let's go!" He ran out of the eating area in a mad dash for the center's field.

"Pikaaa!"

Everybody else facepalmed. Clemont sighed. "I guess we better go after him, right?"

Everybody nodded in agreement, and they followed after the overenergetic boy.

 **Erin's Perspective – Later**

After a long morning of training from both of the prospective challengers, the group met back up at the Pokemon center to have a quick lunch. Now, they all stood outside of the Cyllage city gym, each ready for their prospective gym challenge.

Serena looked back at Erin and Ash, who were walking behind the rest of the group. "Are you guys ready for this?"

Erin nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Ash, of course, was too excited by the prospect of challenging a gym, and he pushed ahead of the rest of the group and walked into the cavernous hole in the side of the mountain. Erin followed him in and gasped in awe. The inside of the mountain was completely hollow. A giant rock formation rose insanely high over the ground she was standing on, and it was dotted by small colored rocks. _It's enormous._

Ash called out. "Hey, Grant! We're down here!" He started waving frantically and looking up, and Erin followed his gaze.

Hanging off the side of the cliff was Grant, exactly like he did in the anime. Erin smiled. _I wonder how similar Ash's gym battle will be._

Grant looked down at the group of six. "Hey, Ash and Erin! Are you here to challenge the Cyllage city gym?"

"Yeah!" Erin and Ash yelled in unison.

Grant grinned and nodded. "Well then, climb on up! The battlefield is on the top of the structure."

Clemont had an alarmed look on his face. "Uh, Grant, do we all have to climb up that thing?"

Grant laughed. "No, of course not. There's an elevator around to the side. It's completely your own choice."

Ash was about to respond, but Erin beat him to it, surprising even herself. "I'll climb up," she said determinedly.

Ash nodded. "Me too."

The two of them walked up to the base of the wall and started to climb up when Erin had an idea. She drew a pokeball from her belt and released Druddigon onto the ground below her. "Druddigon, do you want to climb up with us too?"

"Drud!"

"Hey, I want to climb too!" Bonnie protested. She ran up to the base of the rock wall, but Clemont pulled her away.

"No, Bonnie, you can't! You're too young!" Clemont cried.

"Aww..." Bonnie pouted as she was dragged away to take the elevator.

Erin grinned and continued climbing. There was something soothing about climbing up the rock wall, which was quite easy. She and Druddigon moved up in unison. The cave pokemon looked right at home climbing up the rock wall. It gave Erin time to think and to formulate what her exact strategy would be. Before she even realized that she was making progress, she was already at the top of the wall.

She and Druddigon collapsed panting at the battlefield. She gave a Druddigon a tired smile. "We did it."

"Gon."

She heard the sound of clapping and she looked up. Grant was standing over her, applauding her efforts. "Congratulations, you beat Ash up here! It looks like you and your Pokemon were in perfect unison! Tell me, what were you thinking while you were climbing?"

Erin frowned. "Well, I was trying to get to the top, but I also was finalizing my strategy for the battle. Ash is going first, though, so we're going to have to wait for him."

Grant nodded, and she walked over to join Clemont, Bonnie, Serena, and Elle on the sidelines. It was a good five minutes before Ash finally appeared over the side. Pikachu happily jumped off of his shoulder, but he slumped to the ground, exhausted. Grant asked him the same question that he had asked Erin.

Ash scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I don't really know. I guess I was just trying to get to the top of the wall."

Grant clapped his hands together. "Perfect! That means that you are ready for this battle. Well, Ash, you may have scaled one wall, but there's still another wall in between you and the Cyllage city gym badge." His eyes narrowed. "And that wall is me."

 **Cyllage City Gym – Ash vs Grant**

The referee stood on the side of the the battlefield. "Alright, this is a match between the gym leader, Grant, and the challenger, Ash. Grant will be allowed the use of two Pokemon, whereas Ash will be allowed to use all of the Pokemon currently in his party."

Ash turned to Grant. "I can really use all of my Pokemon?"

Grant nodded. "I want to see everything that a challenger has to offer, which means you can use your whole team."

Ash's eyes shone in excitement. "Alright, so I have three of my Pokemon with me right now, so let's give it everything we've got!"

"Pi Pikachu!"

"Alright then, battle begin!"

Grant nodded and drew a pokeball from his belt. "Onix, go!" With a massive roar, the giant rock snake Pokemon appeared on the battlefield.

Ash turned his hat backwards, and a determined look came across his face. "Alright, in that case, I choose Fletchinder." The red bird appeared in a flash and circled up above the battlefield.

"Go Fletchinder!" Bonnie called, jumping up excitedly. Dedene mimiced her movements.

Clemont frowned, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I don't know. Fletchinder is both a flying and a fire type, which means that it is very weak to rock types."

Serena looked worried, but Erin was confident. "This is Ash we're talking about here. I'm positive he has something up his sleeve that we don't know about."

Elle had a puzzled look on her face. "Wait, didn't you say that Ash has traveled to several other regions before Kalos?"

"Yeah, why?"

"So why doesn't he use any of his other Pokemon? There's no way he could have traveled for years with only three Pokemon, two of which are clearly novices. He could be using six here."

Erin frowned. "I think he wants to replicate the start of a new journey at the begining of each region. I mean, he only takes Pikachu, so that must be it." Elle nodded thoughtfully before turning back to the battle.

"Ash, as the challenger, you may have the first move," Grant called.

Ash nodded, then commanded "Fletchinder, use Flame Charge!" The bird burst into flames and started to circle around the field. As it flew, it grew faster and faster until it was almost a blur moving around the field.

"Onix, let's fight speed with speed! Use rock polish!' Onix took on a steely look, and its head moved faster than should have been possible.

"Fletchinder, use razor wind then peck!" Ash yelled. Fletchinder created several hyperpressured blasts of wind before diving directly towards Onix.

"When it gets closer use flash cannon!" Grant called. Onix started to charge up a beam of brilliant energy, and Ash's eyes widened in alarm.

"Quick, use flame charge and double team in order to dodge!" Fletchinder glowed a warm red with flames as it dashed out of the way of the attack, then replicated over and over again until a literal wall of copies surrounded Onix.

Grant gritted his teeth. "Now Ash, this has been a good battle so far, but it is time to witness the true power of the rock type! Onix, use rock tomb!"

The battlefield began to shake, then hundreds of rocks seemingly rose out of the ground below high into the air, before they started to come crashing down.

Serena gasped. "Fletchinder, watch out!" she called. _Come on, you can do this! I know that you can!_

Ash narrowed his eyes as the rocks knocked out double team after double team. "Now, use flame wing!" he yelled.

"What?" everyone on the sidelines chorused.

From high in the sky, a flaming bird fell, wings gleaming, aiming straight at Onix. It hit the giant rock snake directly in the face, causing it to stagger back several pace and roar in discontent. It came back around, hiting Onix again straight on.

"Onix, iron tail!" As Fletchinder came back around, Onix's massive tail slammed directly into its side, causing it to cry out in pain. It slammed into the ground, where it struggled to rise. Onix wasn't any better off. Scratches covered its entire body, and there was a deep gouge across its face. With a massive effort, Fletchinder was able to struggle to its feet.

Ash looked concernedly at his Pokemon. "Hey, Fletchinder, do you think that you can keep battling?" It nodded in affirmation, and Ash pumped his fist. "Then use flame wing again!" Fletchinder's flame powered steel wing slammed into Onix again, and this time, the rock snake fell in defeat. "Alright!"

"Onix is unable to battle! That means that Fletchinder is the winner!"

Serena, Elle, and Bonnie all cheered. "Good job Ash!"

Erin just watched the battle concernedly. _Fletchinder is in no state to battle, and Ash still doesn't know about draco meteor. Can he take that thing down with only Pikachu and Froaky?_

Grant smiled as he returned Onix. "You did well, old friend." he whispered to the pokeball before setting it aside. "Congratulations on your win, Ash. Very impressive, I must say. Using flame charge to power up steel wing was truly an inspired move. Unfortunately, my next pokemon is much stronger." He drew another pokeball and tossed it. "Go, Tyrunt!"

On the field, a miniature brown dragon appeared. It had massive jaws obviously designed to crush whatever prey it might have, which it clashed together noisily. "Tyrunt!"

"Wow, I've never seen that Pokemon before!" Serena said excitedly. She took out her pokedex and scanned it.

TYRUNT, THE ROYAL HEIR POKÉMON. TYRUNT'S JAWS ARE SO BIG AND POWERFUL, IT CAN CRUNCH UP A CAR. IF IT DOESN'T LIKE SOMETHING, IT RESPONDS WITH A WILD TANTRUM.

"Ash!" Erin yelled. Ash and Grant both looked over, confused about why she was yelling. "Be really careful here. His Tyrunt knows draco meteor!"

Grant looked shocked. "How do you know that? That's my trump card!"

"Thanks Erin!" Ash called over.

Ash called back Fletchinder, thanking him for the battle. He looked down to his side, where a small yellow mouse was standing determinedly. "Pikachu, are you ready to go in?" he asked.

"Pika, Pikapi!" Pikachu dashed onto the battlefield, sparks excitedly shooting from his cheeks.

"Ash, you can have the first move again!" Grant looked determined, and Tyrunt mimiced his pose.

"Take it and use crunch!" As an arc of brilliant electricity shot towards Tyrunt and enveloped it, the royal heir Pokemon rushed forwards and bit down on Pikachu's head. It barely flinched at the massive electricity outburst from Pikachu.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Pikachu, use iron tail!" Pikachu's tail, which was visible, glowed silvery and slammed down on Tyrunt's head. It cried out in pain and released Pikachu, who ran back over to Ash triumphantly.

Serena sighed nervously. Erin could see white knuckles as she gripped the bannister tightly, and her eyes were focused on the battlefield.

It seemed that Clemont had noticed this too. "Serena, are you okay?" he asked.

She had a distant look in her eyes. "Yeah, it's just... Grant is such a strong gym leader, and Ash trained really hard for this battle. I really want him to win, and I'm just worried."

Clemont seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

Erin had a knowing glance, and much to her surprise, so did Elle. An unspoken agreement passed between them to talk about it later, and the sidelines fell silent again.

Ash was still in the heat of the battle. "Okay, Pikachu, that didn't work, so let's try something different! Use quick attack, the volt tackle!" Pikachu began to run insanely fast, dashing to and fro around the field.

Grant smiled. "Rock tomb!" Rocks flew into the air, then came crashing down towards the field.

"Now, Pikachu!" Ash called with a triumphant smile. "Rock tomb climb!" Still using quick attack, Pikachu leaped up onto the falling boulders. Leaping from rock to rock, he went far up into the air. "Now use volt tail!" Pikachu went flying down towards a shocked Tyrunt and slammed it directly in the face with an electric iron tail.

"Tyrunt, retaliate with dragon tail!" Grant yelled. Tyrunt's tail glowed a bright green, and slammed directly into the electric mouse. Pikachu went flying and slammed into a rock before falling to the ground. He attempted to struggle to his feet.

"Pikachu, come on! Get up!" Ash called.

"Alright, Tyrunt," Grant said confidently. "Time to finish this. Jump and use draco meteor!"

Tyrunt sprang impossibly high into the air, and his mouth opened wide as a orange ball of energy started to form. It shot into the air and split into several different meteors that whistled as they fell back down to earth, exploding on impact. Pikachu was unable to get out of the way in time, and he took the brunt of a meteor full on. When the dust cleared, Pikachu was on the ground with swirls in his eyes.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. Tyrunt is the winner!"

"Pikachu!" Ash screamed as he ran onto the field and scooped him into his arms.

Pikachu tiredly opened his eyes to look at Ash. "Pika..." he mumbled tiredly.

"Take a good long rest, buddy!" Ash said. He carefully place his Pokemon behind him and looked back at Grant.

"Aw, Ash lost," Bonnie pouted.

Clemont shook his head. "The two hits he got in did a ton of damage, though. I wouldn't be surprised if Tyrunt only takes another hit or two."

Erin grinned. _There's no way Ash will loose this. He still has another Pokemon, and Tyrunt is done for. Looks like I'm up next._

"Ash, you've proven to be a creative battler, and Tyrunt is almost done. Who will you send out next?" Grant waited calmly as Ash drew his last pokeball from his belt.

"Alright! Froaky, I choose you!" The blue frog appeared on the battlefield in front of Ash. He wasted no time in calling his first command. "Use bubble!"

As a horde of bubbles ran towards Tyrunt, Grant gritted his teeth. "Tyrunt, you have to dodge!" Tyrunt moved to dodge, but it tripped over its own feet and took the attack head on. Unfortunately for Ash, it didn't really seem to do that much to Tyrunt. Froaky looked confused as well as they waited for Tyrunt to rise.

"Ash, you're forgetting that Tyrunt is half dragon type, so water type moves are normally effective." Grant shook his head as Tyrunt rose. "Rock tomb."

"Rock tomb climb!"

As the rocks fell from the sky, Froaky jumped up them, making his way to the sky. Grant sighed. "Tyrunt, use dragon tail." Tyrunt leaped into the air, scoring a direct hit and sending Froaky plummenting.

Ash's eyes widened. "Froaky, use water pulse in midair!" Froaky did just that, and the water pulse scored a direct hit just as the blue frog hit the ground. Tyrunt was instantly knocked out, cold on the gym floor.

"Tyrunt and Froaky are unable to battle. That means that the victor is Ash, the challenger, as he still has one Pokemon remaining."

"Alright!" Ash cheered. Pikachu was extremely tired, but he still raised a paw in victory. However, everybody else didn't have the same feel of exuberance that he did.

"Froaky just went down in one hit..." Erin was shocked that Ash's Pokemon had lost that battle so quickly.

Clemont frowned. "Yes, and that was Tyrunt's weakest attack. Crunch, rock tomb, and draco meteor were all more powerful."

Shrugging it off, the spectators on the sidelines went out to congradulate Ash. They were doing so when Grant walked over.

"Good job on your win, Ash. Here's the Cliff badge as proof of your victory at the Cyllage city gym. You have truly scaled this wall." Grant seemed oddly subdued as compared to his normal attitude, though, which Ash noticed.

"Hey Grant, is something wrong?" Ash asked.

"Well, I was truly impressed with the improvisation shown by Pikachu and Fletchinder. They are both exceedingly well trained and powerful. It's just... I don't feel like Froaky is applying himself to you in the same way as they are."

"What do you mean, Grant?" Ash looked confused and slightly hurt.

"Well, you see, a Froaky at this level should have been able to single handedly taken down Tyrunt with that bubble attack, but Tyrunt took it at low health and survived. Maybe when you train, you need to make sure that you push Froaky further than you do." Grant looked concerned at Ash's reaction, which was rather subdued.

"Oh, ok."

Serena was even more concerned than Grant. "Ash, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to think some things over, I guess." He turned away and started to walk to the exit.

Grant made a move to walk after Ash, but he thought better of it. "Let's take an hour long break. I need to get everyone to the center, so let's meet back here then."


	14. Climbing the Walls: Part Two

Chapter Fourteen: Climbing the Walls Part Two

 **[A/N] Here's part two of last week's chapter. Not much to say about this one. There's some Amour fluff, Erin gets a badge, and then we're onto Korrina and Summer Camp! On a different note, if you haven't already, go watch XYZ 22. It's awesome, even in Japanese.**

 **Thank you to DrafteeDragon and the Amourshipping Guest for reviewing, and remember to R &R on this chapter too! Your feedback means a lot to me. Also, this is the last chapter with a disclaimer. (You have been disclaimed)**

 **Serena's Perspective – Cyllage City**

"Ash! Wait!" Serena yelled. She dashed after Ash, who after leaving the gym had started moving at a fast run. She sprinted after him as fast as her legs could carry her, which admittedly wasn't very fast. She watched as he took a right down one of the streets. _Where is he going?_

After tailing Ash through the city, they eventually came back across the Pokemon center. Serena thought that Ash would go inside, but instead he slipped around the back. When she got to the battlefield behind the center, she found Ash sitting on a bench, staring down at a pokeball in his hand. "Ash!" she called, running over to where he sat.

Ash looked up. He had a pained expression on his face, but it faded away to one of puzzlement after he saw Serena. "Oh, hey Serena. So you followed me?"

Serena shot him a look like he was crazy. "Of course? You can't honestly think that I would just let you run off?"

Ash shrugged, and looked back down at the pokeball in his hands. "Froaky..." he whispered.

Something felt off to Serena. "You won, Ash! Stop feeling so sorry for yourself."

Ash shook his head. "I know, it's just..." He stared at his pokeball. "I just can't help but to feel that I let Froaky down!"

Serena's thoughts all clicked together. "You're upset about what Grant told you." A wordless shrug was the only confirmation that she needed. "Ash, do you remember something that you told me a long time ago?"

Ash looked confused. "No, why?"

She smiled at him. "You said this back when we were at summer camp. I had gotten lost and hurt, and then you came along and helped me." She felt an unwarranted blush rising in her face.

"So?"

"You told me, 'Don't give up till it's over.' Ash, you can't give up on Froaky! I l- I belive in you!" Serena blushed a shade of bright red. _I almost told Ash that I loved him! Why did I almost do that?_

It was like a lightbulb had been turned on in Ash's eyes. He stood up and smiled. "Of course I'm not going to give up on Froaky! That's just not who I am. We're going to train really hard, and then we'll win the Kalos League for sure. Thanks Serena!" He gave her a big hug, and Serena let out a little yelp in surprise. He then dashed back out of the field towards the center, presumably to heal his Pokemon up.

Serena stood stock still. _Did that really just happen? Did Ash Ketchum actually hug me?_ She pinched herself, then winced at the pain. Then she realized that Ash was nowhere to be seen. _He couldn't actually have meant anything by it._ "Ash!" she called, then ran after him.

It was Ash Ketchum, after all.

 **Erin's Perspective – Cyllage City**

Erin and Grant walked through the streets of Cyllage city. Grant had dropped off his Pokemon at a medical unit attached to the Pokemon gym, and had decided to accompany her throughout Cyllage City. Clemont and Bonnie had gone off to search for a hardware store for Clemont, and Elle had decided to tag along.

"So, Erin, are you ready for your gym battle?" Grant asked.

"Yeah, you bet!" Erin said, pumping her fist. "I'm gonna win for sure!"

Grant smiled warmly. "I look forwards to seeing Druddigon in action. It seemed very powerful at the Battle Chateau."

The two of them walked and talked about gym battles for some time before coming to a boardwalk overlooking the sea. Erin walked forwards and rested her arms on the wooden railing. "The ocean here is beautiful."

"Truly, Cyllage is one of the most beautiful cities in the Kalos region." Grant said. "I find it to be so engrossing that I simply cannot turn away."

The sun had begun to set behind the mountains towering at their backs. A lone Wingull drifted through the air. The sun cast an amber shadow over the azure sea, and a dusty sparkle covered rippling waves.

Grant turned to Erin, and asked, "Why are you on your journey? Why did you decide to travel with Ash and the rest of your friends?"

Erin was puzzled by the question. _Why am I on a journey? I'm a universe away from home, and I have no clue of why I'm here._ "I guess... There are just some questions I need answered."

Grant nodded in understanding and didn't press on the matter. "So where will you go after this?"

Erin pondered it for a moment, trying to recall what had happened in the anime. "Well, Professor Sycamore is holding a summer camp outside of Shalour city in a month or two, so we'll be heading that. Geosenge Town is on the way too, and I want to do some research while I'm there."

Grant's intrest was spiked. "Oh, what kind of research?"

Erin recalled a conversation she had back in Lumiose City at the start of her journey. ( **A/N: See chapter five** ) "Well, last time we saw Professor Sycamore, he told me about a rumor that Druddigon might have a Mega Evolution. I'm going to see if I can find a person who knows about that."

Grant leaned over towards Erin, who shied away nervously. "That's incredible! Nothing is more incredible than the power of rocks!" He was in his own rock filled world now, and Erin sweatdropped.

"Uhh... yeah. Anyways, after that, we're going to Shalour City and me and Ash will challenge Korrina."

Grant looked thoughtful. "Korrina's still a pretty new gym leader. I was able to beat her at the last convention even with a disadvantage. I wonder if she's gotten any stronger."

Erin wondered at that for a moment. _If she was hard for Grant to beat before she got Mega Lucario, I wonder how strong she might be afterwards._ However, a quick glance down at her Poketch told her that it was time to head back to the gym. A few more words were exchanged, then they started the long walk back through the city.

 **Later – Cyllage City Gym**

Grant and Erin strolled back into the gym about fifteen minutes later. "I need to pick up my Pokemon for our battle. I'll be back in a second." Grant waved a quick goodbye and walked over towards a nearby door. "Feel free to take the elevator!" he called back over his shoulder.

One quick elevator ride later, Erin strode out onto the open battlefield, where all of her friends were waiting. She walked over to them. "Hey!"

Ash looked far better than he did after his gym battle, and Erin wondered what Serena had said to him. "Ready for your battle?"

Erin locked eyes with him. "You bet, and I'm going to win my first gym badge!"

Bonnie pulled on her sleeve, and Erin looked down. "Dedene and me will be cheering really hard, okay? Druddigon and Deerling are awesome!"

The elevator opened with a metallic whir. Grant walked out of it and onto the battlefield. "Sorry to keep you all waiting. Erin, if you're ready, let's start our battle!"

 **Cyllage City Gym – Erin vs Grant**

The referee stood on the side of the the battlefield. "Alright, this is a match between the gym leader, Grant, and the challenger, Erin. Grant will be allowed the use of two Pokemon, whereas Erin will be allowed to use all of the Pokemon currently in his party."

Grant looked across the battle at Erin. "Remember that while Ash may have already fought here, I still have Pokemon that are equally powerful. You have yet to scale the wall that is the Cyllage city gym."

"Of course! We're not going to give up either!" Erin pumped her fist in determination.

"Battle begin!"

Grant grabbed a Pokeball off of his belt and chucked it into the air. "Binacle, go!" On the field, a small Pokemon that looked like a lump of rock appeared. As Erin watched, two arm like appendages slid out of deep holes in the rock.

"Woah, what's that, Dexter?" Erin asked, pointing her watch at the Pokemon.

BINACLE, THE TWO HANDED POKEMON. TWO BINACLE LIVE TOGETHER ON ONE ROCK. WHEN THEY FIGHT, ONE OF THEM WILL MOVE TO A DIFFERENT ROCK. BINACLE IS A ROCK-WATER DUEL TYPE, AND IS EXTREMELY WEAK TO GRASS.

Erin grinned as she heard the last part. "Alright, I know exactly what to do then. Deerling, come on out!" In a flash of glittering sparkles, Erin's luxury ball opened to reveal the deer standing ready to go on the battlefield.

Grant nodded. "Erin, you can have the first move!"

"Awesome! Deerling, let's give it everything we've got! Use tackle!" Deerling lowered her head and charged towards the stationary Pokemon. Binacle just sat there, looking unsuspecting.

Grant, on the other hand, smirked. "Gym leaders aren't like other opponents. Even though my Pokemon is extremely weak to grass types, I have a counter ready. Binacle, use fury cutter!" Both of the appendages of the barnacle pokemon started to glow. Just as Deerling was about to ram it, it furiously swiped at her, sending her flying.

"Deerling, are you okay?" Erin called in panic. Deerling struggled to her feet and let out a "ling" of affirmation.

"Erin, watch out!" Clemont called from the sidelines. "Fury cutter is a bug type move, which Deerling is weak to!"

"Let's go on the offensive, Binacle! Use Water Gun!" A blue jet of water ran towards Deerling.

"Counter with razor leaf!" Erin commanded. The two attacks collided in midair and exploded. "Again!" The second bout of leaves burst through the smoke, headed straight for Binacle.

"Binacle, counter it with cut!" Grant called. A white beam of energy shot from one of its claws and sliced up all of the razor leaves.

Erin gritted her teeth. _I can't land an attack on it! How am I supposed to beat it?_ Then she had an idea. "Deerling, kick up a sand screen with sand attack!" The battlefield was obscured by sand, and Erin and Grant shielded their faces with their arms.

Grant was the first to act. "If we can't see Deerling, we'll just have to attack everywhere! Binacle, use rock tomb!" The battlefield fractured as massive rocks rose up into the air.

 _Here it comes._ "Deerling, dodge with quick attack then use leaf attack!" Deerling shot through the sand as rocks came crashing down around her, then Erin lost sight of her. Then, Binacle flew out of the sand cloud and landed by Grant's feet, knocked out.

"Binacle is unable to battle! That means that Deerling is the winner!"

"What!" Grant yelled. He looked absolutely shocked as he returned Binacle.

Erin grinned and looked up. She spotted a small fleck circling overhead, and she knew it was Paul on Pidgeot. "Deerling surrounded herself with her razor leafs so that her quick attack would do extra damage. The sand attack was only a distraction."

"Go Erin!" a cheer came from the sidelines. She looked over to see Serena and Bonnie waving at her. Erin smiled and waved back.

"I have to say Erin, I'm impressed. This is only your first gym battle, and you're already displaying a high level of tactical thinking and improvisation. However, you haven't won yet." Grant took another pokeball from his belt and tossed it up into the air. "Amaura, go!"

On the battlefield, a dinosaur like Pokemon appeared. It had irridescent sails coming off the back of its head, and a light blue pattern covered its body. Erin's eyes widened as she saw it. _Crap. Deerling and Druddigon are both weak to Ice types._ From the sidelines, she could hear the beep of Ash's Pokedex.

AMAURA, THE TUNDRA POKEMON. THIS ANCIENT POKÉMON WAS RESTORED FROM PART OF ITS BODY THAT HAD BEEN FROZEN IN ICE FOR OVER 100 MILLION YEARS.

Grant called, "You can have the first move again."

"Alright," Erin agreed, "Let's start this off with razor leaf." Green leaves materialized in front of Deerling and shot towards Amaura.

"Amaura, use takedown!" Grant commanded. Amaura charged towards Deerling, coated with a pearly white aura. The razor leaf attack hit it, and it appeared to take significant damage, but still hit Deerling at full speed, knocking it into a nearby rock, a clear knockout.

"Deerling is unable to battle! Amaura is the winner!"

Erin gaped at the form of her knocked out Pokemon. "What just happened?" she asked as she returned Deerling to her luxury ball.

"Amaura has an ability called refrigerate that powers up normal type moves and makes them ice type. That takedown was nearly three times more powerful than if Deerling had used it."

Erin drew a shaky breath. The sidelines had gone silent. "Well, I still have one more Pokemon. Go Druddigon!"

With a massive roar, the cave Pokemon materialized onto the battlefield. Grant looked it over and grinned. "I've been looking forwards to this battle. Now we will take the first move. Amaura, use Aurora beam." A white beam of pure ice shot towards the dragon.

"Quick, counter with dragon rage!" Erin commanded. The purple energy beam collided with the ice beam, and the two offset each other. "Now it's our turn. Use dragon claw!" Druddigon rushed forwards, claws bursting with draconic energy.

"Take down."

The two attacks collided in the center of the battlefield, and both Pokemon went skidding away. Druddigon had taken damage, but Amaura looked significantly worse off. The razor leaf had taken a toll on it, and it looked to be on the verge of exhaustion.

Grant noticed that too. "Amaura, can you give us one last rock tomb?" The blue Pokemon nodded, and rocks rose high up into the air before coming crashing down.

Erin grinned. "Alright, this battle is over. Use dragon tail!"

As the rocks went flying towards Druddigon, the dragon knocked them away towards Amaura. The dinosaur was too tired to get out of the way, and it was crushed underneath the onslaught of rocks. When the dust cleared, Druddigon was still standing, while Amaura was on the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"Amaura is unable to battle! Druddigon is the winner, which means that the victor is the challenger, Erin!"

Erin stood still for a second, not fully comprehending what had just happened. _I just won my first gym battle!_ Her friends poured in around her to offer their congradulations, and Grant walked over.

"Congratulations on your victory, Erin!" he said, "As proof that you have beaten the Cyllage city gym, I present to you the Cliff badge."

Erin accepted the badge, and she could do nothing but smile.

 **Later, outside the Pokemon Center**

"So, Ash and Erin, you two are on your way to the Shalour city gym next?" Grant asked.

"Yeah!" Erin said. "Also, we're going to Professor Sycamore's summer camp!"

"Really? Awesome!" Serena exclaimed. "There's the tower of Mastery nearby, and I've always wanted to see it."

"Sounds good to me," Ash said.

"This should be fun," Clemont said thoughtfully. "I just wonder what kind of gym it is."

Erin smiled knowingly, and Ash started to walk forwards. "Well," he said, "There's no time to waste! Let's start going!"

With that, our six heroes set off on the road towards Shalour city, with another flying above unbeknownst to all but one. On the path to Shalour city, they will meet new friends and have new adventures. And so the adventure continues.


	15. The Bonding of Lives

Chapter 15 – The Bonding of Lives

 **[A/N] A lot of stuff happens in this chapter. More author notes are at the bottom, so check down there. The plot will begin to unfold soon, and as a result, the chapters will probably get longer and longer. Some responses to reviews:**

 **DrafteeDragon – It's so punderful!**

 **Amourshipping Guest – Thank you! In response to your question, I won't rule out the possibility, but you shouldn't expect it. It would be… difficult, to say the least.**

 **Erin's Perspective – Route 10 (Night)**

The sun had set long ago. Bonnie was tucked in and asleep in her tent, and the rest of the group was tiredly sitting around the dying fire.

Ash let out a massive yawn. "I'm going to sleep. G'night, guys."

Clemont and Elle nodded. "Me too," Clemont said in agreement.

Erin watched as the three of them stood up and started to walk towards the three tents set up around the campfire. She felt like they had been traveling forever, when in reality, it had been less than two months. She had met Elle just two days ago, but it felt like ages.

 _Things are changing so fast. Where did Elle come from? Why did J kidnap Sanpei? Why am I here._ She decided that tomorrow would be the day that she would get to know Elle; today she just wanted to talk to Paul.

"Erin, are you coming?" Serena asked.

Erin shook her head. "No, I'm not really tired right now. I need to think some things over."

Serena frowned. "Okay, I guess." She hesitantly walked over to her tent, and Erin watched her disappear inside.

Erin stood up and turned on her Poketch. On it, she could see that Paul had marked the spot of his camp. It was about a mile walk through the sparse forest surrounding Geosenge Town. She walked off through the woods towards the spot.

About fifteen minutes later, she arrived at his camp, where his single tent was staked and a fire blazed. Paul was standing some distance away, and Erin could see that he was training with his Pokemon. Phantump and Clauncher were having a mock battle. He noticed Erin walking over. "Keep it up," he commanded. He turned to Erin and his gaze softened visibly. "Hey."

Erin grinned at him. "You were watching my battle."

Paul nodded. "Your techniques were good, though understandably unpolished for your first gym battle."

Erin shrugged. "That's mostly thanks to you, anyways. You're a good teacher, you know that, right?"

Paul didn't respond to that, instead electing to turn his head back to the battle. Erin sighed. "Can't you accept a compliment?"

"No," Paul deadpanned.

Erin decided to change the topic. "So what do you do all day while you're following us around?"

Paul just shrugged. All of a sudden, a Pokemon burst out of a nearby bush and flew into Erin, knocking her down in the process. "Huh?" was all that she could manage as she looked down at the Pokemon in her arms. It had a green head, but was otherwise mostly white. Erin knew what it was at first glance.

"A Ralts… No way!"

Paul ran over with a concerned look on his face. "Erin, are you okay? What just- wait, is that a Ralts."

 _"_ _Help me."_

Erin blinked. She could have sworn that the Ralts had just spoken to her. She stared down at her in awe. "Did you just talk?"

 _"_ _Bad men. Home attacked. I- I..."_ Ralts buried her head into Erin's shirt and started to cry.

Staring down at the Ralts in front of her, Erin could somehow… feel the pain that the small Pokemon was feeling. Cautiously but compassionately, she reached down and stroked her horn.

Paul stared at Erin confusedly. "What do you mean, it talked?"

Erin frowned. "I think she was using telepathy, but I'm not sure." She didn't know why, but holding Ralts just felt right to her somehow, as if she had regained some part of herself that she had lost.

This only served to make Paul even more confused. "Then why can only you hear it? How do you know it's a she?"

Ralts seemed to have calmed down a bit, and she looked up from the soft fabric of Erin's sweatshirt. _"_ _I-I don't know what I did. M-mommy always said that there was something I had to do to talk to humans, but I don't remember."_

Erin could feel her tense up, and she felt hysteria rising up at the back of Ralts' mind. She drew the small Pokemon closer to her. "She says that her mother taught her something, but she can't remember what. Paul, she's hurting really badly. I think something attacked her home."

Before Paul could respond, loud voices could be heard coming from the woods. _"It's them!"_ Ralts shrieked mentally. Erin cursed and got to her feet, releasing Druddigon and Deerling from her pokeballs. Paul seemed uncertain of what was happening, but released Pidgeot and Ninjask as well.

Four black-clad men burst into the clearing. They skidded to a halt as they spotted two trainers and six Pokemon, as well as a tiny Ralts perched on Erin's shoulder. One of them forwards. "What are kids like you doing being awake at a time like this? You should go to bed and give us that Pokemon."

Erin's eyes went wide, and she urgently nudged Paul. "These are the people who attacked us and kidnapped Sanpei!"

Paul narrowed his eyes at the men in front of them. "No way are they getting Ralts then."

Ralts was shaking on Erin's shoulder. _"They took my mommy,"_ she whimpered.

One of the grunt's eyes widened. "Wait, I recognize that girl! She's the one who took down J's Salamance."

Another man who looked to be the squad leader stepped forwards. "Taz, hold them off. We'll go and secure the Gardevoir and the Gallade." Him and two other men rushed off.

The grunt he had addressed stepped forwards. He two Pokeballs into the air to reveal a Mightyena and a Golbat.

Paul looked over at Erin and threw her Pidgeot's pokeball. "Go."

Erin nodded in agreement. Cradling Ralts in her arms, she chased after the fleeing men. Behind her, she could hear Pidgeot, Druddigon, and Deerling following her. She quickly recalled Deerling and Druddigon, then jumped onto Pidgeot's back. She overtook the men, then followed them to their destination.

A deep clearing on the side of a dirt road was covered in shadows. Erin could see an imposing black truck parked along the side. She guided Pidgeot down to land as she drew her pokeballs again and released her Pokemon on the forest floor. She spotted two cages set over to the side.

Ralts looked on in shock at the slumped figures inside. _"Mommy! Daddy!"_

The leader cursed as he saw Erin and drew a pokeball, and the two grunts at his side followed suit. Three snarling Mightyena appeared in the clearing.

Erin narrowed her eyes at them. "You wont get away with those Pokemon!"

One of the men sneered. "Oh yeah? Dark pulse!"

"Yeah!"

"You too!"

Erin was quick to come up with a counter. "Dragon rage, hurricane, and razor leaf!"

The attacks all collided with each other. One dark pulse collided with Deerling's razor leaf and exploded. Dragon rage hit another and drove straight through it, dealing visible damage to the Mightyena it hit. Hurricane, however, was quite literally a force of nature. It drove into all three of the mongrels, knocking them out and driving them into the ground, as well as the grunts.

Erin stood there with her mouth open. She knew that Pidgeot was powerful, but she had no idea that it could do that much damage at once. However, her awe was short lived, and she sprung into action. "Druddigon, go help the Pokemon in the cages. Deerling and Pidgeot, stay close to me, okay?"

She was silenced, however, as a figure emerged from the black van. She had lime green hair and weird goggles. She was clad in a similar black garb as her cohorts, but it seemed to be different from theirs.

Erin recognized her on sight. "Bryony?" she gasped.

The woman sneered at her, visibly shaken that Erin had recognized her. "You're that girl with Ketchum that defeated J, aren't you? No matter. You're in our way, so scram."

Erin's mind was whirling. _Why is there a Team Flare executive here?_ "What does Team Flare want with these Pokemon?"

Bryony's scowl only deepened. "Team Flare is a thing of the past. The Syndicate will take what it needs to change this world as we see fit. Tyranitar, go!"

With a giant roar that shook the entire forest, a ten foot tall monstrosity appeared in front of Erin and her Pokemon. Black skin was covered by a thick rocky hide. She could see rows of sharp teeth and pointed claws. Its red eyes betrayed no hint of emotion, only rage.

Erin could feel Ralts' reaction, and it matched her own: fear. Tyranitars were one of the most powerful Pokemon, and she knew it could crush her team. Despite that, she knew she had to fight for Ralts' parents sake. "Deerling, use razor leaf! Pidgeot, use hurricane!"

Tyranitar just stood there and let the attacks hit it. Erin gawked at the unfazed Pokemon. _Those attacks didn't do a thing!_

Bryony smirked. "Stone edge." Tyrannitar brought its hands together and slammed them down onto the ground, causing massive pieces of stone to shoot out. The attack hit Deerling and Pidgeot, knocking them both out.

Erin hastily recalled them then dashed towards where the cages were. _She's too powerful. I don't know if I can stop her._

"Not so fast!" Bryony called. "Hyper beam those twerps!"

Erin's eyes widened as the attack began to charge. Ralts tried to make herself as small as possible in Erin's arms. _I can't let Ralts get hurt._ "Druddigon, counter it with dragon rage!"

Druddigon leaped in front of Tyranitar and shot off the strongest dragon rage that it could. Tyranitar opened fire with a terrifyingly powerful blast of purple energy. The two attacks collided in a titanic burst and exploded, shaking the forest. However, the outcome was not equal. Druddigon's attack was completely destroyed by the hyper beam, and it slammed into the cave Pokemon's chest, knocking it out. Erin cursed and returned it to its pokeball, then looked back over at Bryony, who had a smug expression on her face.

 _"I'm scared. The green haired woman is scary."_ Ralts whimpered.

 _"Hush, it's going to be okay,"_ Erin reassured her, unknowingly speaking with telepathy. In fact, she was terrified that they were about to die, but she was more worried about making sure Ralts would be okay.

Bryony sneered at her. "So much for all of your big talk, kid. Your Pokemon are no match for my Tyranitar. I don't a pesky little nuisance like you following me around. Finish them with hyper beam."

"Purugly, use body slam!"

Just as the hyper beam was about to hit Erin, a massive force crashed into her side and sent her and Ralts flying. They landed painfully by the cages. Erin pulled herself up and stared at where they had been. There was a deep gorge, and next to it, a fat ugly cat-like Pokemon was standing. Next to it was another black-clad woman with firey red hair, who Erin recognized as well. "Mars?"

Mars ignored her. "You know better than that, Bry. Boss wants her alive."

Bryony sighed. "I was just giving that little bitch what she deserved for messing with us. We probably should take her in then."

Erin, who had frantically been backpedaling across the clearing, was stopped by the low growling of Purugly, who had come around behind her. Tyranitar stomped up in front of them. All seemed lost, when suddenly…

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!"

Two blasts of fighting energy blasted into each Pokemon. Purugly was thrown backwards and knocked out, and Tyranitar slid backwards but remained on his feet. Erin looked up to see a Lucario standing in front of her and Ralts. A Meinfoo and a Machoke joined it, jumping over a nearby ridge. They were followed by a girl on roller skates with blond hair in a massive ponytail.

"What do you think you're doing!" she yelled. "Why are you trying to hurt people and steal Pokemon!" She skated over to Erin and Ralts, and offered her a hand.

Erin blinked and let out a sigh of relief, before taking her hand and getting up. "Thank you."

The girl grinned at her. "Hey, no problem! I'm Korrina."

"I'm Erin, and this is Ralts."

Korrina turned back to Mars and Bryony, who were quietly conferring. Mars stepped forewards and returned Purugly, before turning to face Erin and Korrina. "You may have won this time, but will we get the power we need. You can keep the Gardevoir and the Gallade." She nodded to her green haired companion, and the two of them dashed back to the van and got in, followed by the grunts that Erin had beaten earlier. Tyranitar disappeared in a red flash, and the van sped away before Erin could act.

Korrina noticed her tensing, and rested a cautionary hand on her shoulder. "There's no point of going after them. We should make sure the Pokemon is the cages are okay."

Erin hesitated for a moment, then nodded. _Who am I kidding? She defeated my Pokemon in seconds, and none of them are ready to fight right now._

"Erin!" She spun around as a desperate cry came from the edge of the clearing. It was Paul, followed by Phantump, Ninjask, and the grunt he had been fighting getting dragged along by a powerful vine whip. "Are you okay?" He skidded to a halt when he noticed Korrina and her Pokemon. "Who are they?"

Erin ran over to where Paul had stopped and hugged him. "Yeah, I'm fine. There were two powerful executives of some sort here. One had a full grown Tyranitar."

Paul, now looking rather uncomfortable, pushed Erin away from himself. "You fought a Tyranitar? How did you survive that?"

Erin frowned. "I almost didn't. They wanted me alive."

The somber silence that stretched out after she said that was broken only by the crash of a breaking cage. Ralts let out a joyful cry as two Pokemon stepped out of it. _"_ _Mommy! Daddy!"_ She teleported off of Erin's shoulder and reappeared next to the two Pokemon.

Erin dashed over to the two Pokemon, who appeared to be deep in conversation. When she got near, however, Gallade stepped forewards. He looked furious. _"_ _What did you do to my daughter!"_

Erin skidded to a halt as one of Gallade's blades swung down towards her. She dove out of the way. "What are you talking about? I didn't do anything!"

Lucario started to run forwards, but the blade Pokemon's eyes glowed a brilliant blue and all of Korrina's and Paul's Pokemon froze in place. He swung again, and she had to roll to dodge. _"Don't play stupid with me. WHAT DID YOU DO!"_

Ralts teleported onto her stomach, and it looked to Erin like she confronted her father. _"Don't worry, I won't let daddy hurt you!"_ she called across their mental bond.

Gardevoir teleported directly in between Ralts and Gallade. _"Stop! Human, if you are responsible for the forced bond with my daughter, you will pay. However, we must know for certain."_

Erin stared up in abject terror at the two Pokemon attacking her, knowing that she was at their mercy. However, she was unprepared for what would come next. A vicious blade of mental energy stabbed into Erin's conscious, and a searing pain filled her head. She and Ralts simultaneously curled up into a small ball, screaming in pain. Through a haze, Erin could vaguely hear Paul and Korrina call out, and Gallade say something to Gardevoir, before the pain ceased.

 _"She did not know what she was doing."_ Gardevoir bowed her head and backed away, and Gallade's eyes went back to normal. Lucario stumbled forwards, released from whatever psychic energy had been holding him.

Erin stared at Gardevoir. "What bond?"

Gardevoir sighed and bowed her head, staring at Ralts with sad eyes. _"Once in their lifetime, a member of the Ralts line_ _will bond themselves to a human. It allows a deep mental level of communication and the two always grow extremely close. However, this bond is dangerous for both Pokemon and human. Most do not attempt it until they become a Gardevoir. The only reason Ralts was able to do so was because she is much alike to you in many ways."_

Erin's mouth dropped as she heard Gardevoir's explanation. She turned to Ralts. "You did that for me?"

Ralts' eyes glowed as she looked back at Erin. _"It felt… right._ _You are the one that I have chosen to bond with, and I don't regret that choice."_

Erin smiled at that, and she embraced Ralts in a tight hug. Her unspoken words of gratitude were felt by both of them.

"Um..." Korrina was watching the entire exchange, and she now looked beyond confused. "What just happened?"

Erin and Ralts turned to look at Korrina, who looked lost, and burst into laughter. Once Erin calmed down, she explained everything that had just happened. If anything, though, it just served to make Korrina even more confused.

Erin remembered something and frowned. She turned back to Gardevoir and Gallade. "Does that mean that Ralts can travel with me?"

Gardevoir bowed her head with a sad expression. _"It would be cruel to force her to do otherwise."_

 _"_ _I want to go with you, Erin. Can you take me with you?"_ Ralts looked hopeful, and when Erin nodded, she let out a joyful cry.

Erin turned and rummaged around in her backpack. She was looking for a certain something that she had gotten way back in Camphrier Town. She had gone to get more pokeballs, but when she entered the mart, she was informed that she was the hundred thousandth customer to visit the store. As a gift in exchange, she was given a very special Premier Ball, which she got out now.

Ralts looked at the ball doubtfully. _"What's that?"_

"It's a device that allows me to capture you. If you press the button, I can ensure that nobody else can try to take you. I'll let you back out right after," she explained.

Ralts nodded and pressed the button. She disappeared in a flash of white light, and the ball instantly dinged, indicating a capture. Erin grinned and pressed the button again, and Ralts reappeared in the clearing. _"That wasn't so bad! It was like our tree back at home._ _I like your shoulder better though."_ She instantly teleported onto Erin's shoulder.

Erin smiled. She had a new friend, and she couldn't wait to travel with her. After a tearful goodbye with Ralts' family, the two of them, along with Paul and Korrina, began to make their way back to Paul's campsite.

 **Later, at the Campsite**

When they got back to Paul's tent, his fire was long since gone. Paul looked at it and groaned. "Does anyone have a fire type?" Erin and Korrina both shook their heads. "Fine, I'll go get more wood."

Korrina looked at Erin. "So you and Paul are traveling together?"

Erin shook her head. "No, I'm actually traveling with another group of six, and Paul has been following us around."

"Why?"

"Well, he used to be rivals with one of the kids that I'm traveling with, named Ash. Something happened, and we don't know what, and now he can't remember anything from before three months ago. Nothing except Ash's name, that is. I met up with him by accident, so now I come and talk to him after everyone else is asleep."

Korrina frowned, and looked puzzled, but didn't press any further. Erin decided to change the subject. "So why are you traveling?"

Korrina instantly brightened up and jumped to her feet, and Lucario came up by her side. "Lucario and I are going to be able to Mega Evolve! Grandpa told us that if we go to Geosenge town, we can find the Lucarionite! We want to get really strong, and after we beat those crooks, we have 100 victories in battle!" She pumped her fist and pointed at Erin. "What about you?"

Erin grinned. "I'm taking the gym challenge, which means that I'm going to be facing you, right?"

Korrina looked surprised. "Yeah, right!"

"Actually, I was going to Geosenge town to investigate Mega Evolution as well. I've heard rumors that Druddigon can Mega Evolve, and I want to see if they are true."

Ralts interrupted Erin's train of thought. _"Don't forget, I can Mega Evolve someday too!"_

Erin relayed Ralts' message to Korrina. Korrina thought for a second, then exclaimed, "I know! We can go together!"

"Sure," Erin responded. "Come back to our campsite with me and we can talk to them."

At that moment, Paul came back lugging a large pile of wood. He dropped it by the fire and cursed, then said "This forest is pathetic. It took me fifteen minutes to find decent firewood."

Erin rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just start the fire."

As she was saying this, Korrina shook her head and stood up. "Nah, we've got a big day tomorrow. Erin, can you show me how to get there?"

Erin suddenly found herself torn between Paul and Korrina. Finally, she came to a decision. She pointed towards the site. "Walk that way. I'll catch up with you."

Korrina nodded, and Erin found herself alone with Paul. She stared at him. He looked so angry and alone, with wood scattered around his legs. He scowled back at her. "It's not too late to come back with us, you know."

A hesitant gaze filled his eyes, but was quickly pushed aside. "No, I can't." He turned away from Erin.

"I'm sorry."

Without another word exchanged, Erin turned around and walked back towards where Korrina had gone. She quickly caught up to her, and they jogged back to Ash's campsite. Korrina followed Erin into her tent, and promptly fell asleep on the ground.

Erin clambered into her sleeping bag, but she couldn't fall asleep. All she could think about was kidnappers and J, and Paul turning away from her.

 _"It's okay,"_ Ralts whispered over their connection. _"It's all going to be okay."_

Erin cuddled Ralts tight by her chest, and she gradually fell into a peaceful sleep, with just one thought on her mind.

 _I'm sorry._

 **[A/N] So much is in this chapter! New characters, new villains, new Pokemon! I want your feedback. What do you think of Ralts and Korrina? What do you think is going to happen next? Your reviews are always appreciated, and I will try to answer everything.**


	16. A Fork in the Road

Chapter 16 – A Fork in the Road

 **[A/N] God, this chapter... I don't know what it is about it, but it feels off somehow. I love Korrina, though. She's awesome.**

 **Honestly, I was going to make the bit with Pikachu, Ash, and Serena at the beginning into a oneshot, but I like how it turned out, so here it is. Team Rocket cameo!**

 **Now, some responses to reviews.**

 **Pink Ranger 13 – Thank you for your support!**

 **DrafteeDragon – I'm glad you liked the last chapter so much! In response to your question, I'm honestly not really sure. She either has watched the entirety of X and Y, or just up to the Master Class. Why? For reasons.**

 **Quagsire12 – (Facepalms) All embarassing typos in the last chapter have been fixed since two days ago. That's hilarious, though. Thanks for the feedback.**

 **Amourshipping Guest – Thank you for you continued support!**

 **Pikachu's Perspective – Route 10**

"Pikaaaaa..."

 _He was riding on the shoulder of Ash, his Pikapi. It had been days since they had entered the Ketchup Forest,_ _and as always, they were hopelesly lost._ _He let out a deep sigh._

 _Ash looked_ _over at him with a look of concern. "Are you okay?" He frowned, then his face lit up. "I know what can help! You need a long tail rub with an endless supply of ketchup!"_

 _Pikachu's eyes widened in delight. He jumped off Ash's shoulder and grabbed the gallon of ketchup that had just appeared._

Pikachu rolled over in his sleep. "Chaaaa..."

 _All of a sudden, Team Rocket appeared!_ _They stole all of his ketchup, then they kidnapped Ash! "Pikapi!" Pikachu cried desperately at the departing balloon._

 _Ash looked back at him. "Quick, use thunderbolt!"_

 _Pikachu nodded. He had to save his Pikapi!_

"Pikachu!" A blinding electrical glow filled the tent.

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 10**

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Serena shot straight up as what seemed like 1,000 volts of electricity coursed through her body. Her hair was a frazzled black mess, and her pajamas were ruined. She wildly gazed around the tent looking for the culprit of the attack.

Bonnie was woozily sitting up in her sleeping bag, looking very similar to her. Fennekin and Dedene were both sprawled out, knocked out. And sitting in the middle of it all was a very sheepish Pikachu. "Pika..." he said in apology.

Serena, however, was having none of it. With murder in her eyes, she clambered over to the mouse Pokemon, who was desperately trying to exit the tent. "Do you," she started in a dangerously low tone, "have ANY idea how long it will take me to fix my hair? Because you did this, you will sit there and help for the entire time!"

Bonnie sweatdropped. "Scary..." she muttered.

Pikachu, on the other hand, managed to partially open the zipper to the tent and was wiggling out. Serena noticed this, and she made a desperate lunge towards the opening. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, the zipper opened, and she grabbed a roundish object which she slammed into the ground.

"Ow," Ash groaned. "My head." Pikachu jumped onto Ash, and stuck his tongue out at Serena, who was preoccupied with the fact that she had just hurt her crush.

"Oh, Ash! I mean, um, I- I..." Her face was rapidly turning red as she realized what she had just done.

Ash looked extremely confused. "Why is your face red? Are you cold?"

"I- yes!" Serena stammered. "I'm freezing."

"Oh, okay," Ash said, obviously relieved that he had solved what he though was the problem.

Bonnie couldn't take it anymore. She screamed, "Why are you both so clueless?" then ran out of the tent.

Ash blinked. "That was weird. Anyways, hot pancakes courtesy of Clemont! Better move faster if you want any, or I'm going to eat them all." He pushed himself off of the ground, and walked away from Serena's tent.

Serena flopped backwards onto her sleeping bag with a groan. _Wonderful. I'm covered in soot and I already managed to act stupid around Ash today. Might as well go eat something._ She got out of the tent and walked over to a picnic table that stood near the tents. There were four tents in total, on for her and Bonnie, one for Clemont and Ash, one for Elle, and one for Erin.

Everyone but Erin was already seated with pancakes at the table. She couldn't help but to laugh when she saw the enormous ammount of pancakes that Ash had managed to precariously stack on top of his plate. She walked over and sat down next to him.

Elle was staring at her hair. "Ser, what happened? Nobody's bedhead is that bad."

Serena narrowed her eyes at a certain yellow mouse with a ketchup covered pancake. "Somebody decided that shocking me was a good idea."

As everyone turned to look at Pikachu, he waved his arms in protest. "Pi pika pi!"

The five of them talked for a couple minutes while devouring pancakes. After a while, Clemont asked "Is Erin still asleep?"

Serena shrugged. "I guess so, but I can go and check." She got up from the table and walked over to where Erin's tent was set up. She unzipped the tent and walked inside. "Erin? Are you awake?" Her breath caught as she looked around the tent.

Erin was sleeping on top of her sleeping bag. She looked worse for wear, and she hadn't changed out of the clothes that she had been wearing the night before. A small pokemon with a white body and green hair was curled up against her chest, sleeping peacefully.

"What is that?" she whispered. She pointed her Pokedex at it, and it beeped as it came to life.

RALTS, THE FEELING POKÉMON. RALTS IS THE PRE-EVOLVED FORM OF KIRLIA. IT CAN USE THE HORNS ON ITS HEAD TO READ HUMAN EMOTIONS. RALTS RARELY SHOWS ITSELF TO HUMANS, BUT MAY OCCASIONALLY APPROACH WHEN IT SENSES POSITIVE OR HAPPY FEELINGS.

Serena continued to look around the room, and was astonished by what she saw. There was another girls lying in the corner of the tent. She also looked like she had falled asleep in her clothes. A pair of roller skates and a helmet layed discarded to her side. She had on a red and white dress, and she had a massive ponytail of straw colored hair that stuck straight up.

Lying by her side was a blue and black jackal-like Pokemon that Serena thought she remembered from a movie she had watched with her mom. She turned her Pokedex towards it.

LUCARIO, THE AURA POKÉMON AND THE EVOLVED FORM OF RIOLU. LUCARIO READS THE THOUGHTS OF OTHERS AND ANTICIPATES THEIR MOVEMENTS BY SENSING THEIR AURAS.

"Serena?" Serena turned around to see Erin groggily looking at her. "What are you doing?"

Serena confusedly glanced around, then looked back at Erin. "Who are they, and where did you get a Ralts from?"

Erin groaned and rubbed her eyes. "Hang on." She crawled over to the girl who was sleeping on the ground and lightly shook her shoulder. "Korrina, wake up."

Korrina sat straight up. "Huh? What? Grandpa?" She shook her head. "Wait, no, that's Erin." she turned to looked over at Lucario. "Lucario, wake up! Erin is here and we're going to Geosenge town!"

"Car?"

Erin laughed. Turning back to Serena, who was lost by this point, she said "That's Korrina and Lucario. I met them last night, as well as Ralts. They're traveling to Geosenge town also, so I offered to let them come with us."

Serena shook her head, trying to rid herself of the wierdness of the whole situation. She decided not to push further. "I thought that we we going to take Route 27, the new one between here and Shalour City."

Erin frowned. "Are you sure? Geosenge Town has a lot of stuff on Mega Evolution."

Korrina nodded. "Yeah, Lucario and I are going there so that I can Mega Evolve him! It's going to be awesome!"

Serena shrugged. "I don't know, let's ask Ash." _What happened last night anyways? Where did that Ralts come from?_ She ducked out of the tent, and didn't wait to see if the two girls inside were following.

 **Erin's Perspective – Route 10**

Erin waited until Serena was out of the tent before she turned to talk to Korrina. The other girl looked skeptically at the tent flap where the honey blonde had been standing seconds ago. "I thought you said that they were going to Geosenge Town?"

Erin frowned. "I honestly thought that we were going. I can't just leave them now, can I?"

Could she? _We're all going to summer camp in a couple weeks anyways. Would traveling with Korrina for a bit be the worst thing in the world?_

"I dunno. We should go talk to them," Korrina said. Erin nodded, and the two of them quickly got dressed and packed up some of their stuff for the day.

Erin was interrupted by a small yawn from behind her. _"Good morning!"_ Ralts said cheerily across their bond. _"I'm hungry!"_

Erin smiled. "Hey, Serena always has something to eat. I'm sure that we can find you something."

Ralts beamed and teleported onto her shoulder. Erin and Korrina left her tent, closely followed by Lucario. As they did so, everyone who was sitting around the picnic table except for Serena stopped talking and stared at Korrina, Ralts, and Lucario.

Elle was the first one to talk. "Um, Erin, who are they?"

Korrina took the opertunity to introduce herself. "I'm Korrina, and this is my partner Lucario. We met up with Erin last night."

"Well, I'm Elle."

"My name's Ash Ketchum, and I'm from Pallet town. This is my buddy Pikachu."

"Pika chu!"

"I'm Clemont, and this is my little sister Bonnie." Clemont looked over Korrina, and a spark seemed to enter his eyes. "Wait, I remember you. Weren't you at the last gym leader's convention with your Lucario?"

Korrina laughed. "I sure was! You were that kid who tried to give Volkner new inventions to use in his gym that blew up, weren't you!"

Clemont laughed embarassedly and hung his head. "Not my finest moment, to say the least."

Ash interrupted excitedly. "Wait, gym leaders from all of the regions have a convention?"

Clemont looked over at Ash. "Yes, of course. All of the major regions meet up to discuss worldwide events and battling. It happens every other year."

Ash seemed starstruck at the idea of seeing so many powerful trainers in the same place. "Wait, then do you know my friends Brock, Misty, and Cilan?"

Clemont shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I don't. There are over two hundred gym leaders in total, I believe. Kanto has over fifty. That's not counting the elite four from each region, the Battle Frontiers of Hoenn, Kanto, and Sinnoh, and all of the league staff and officials. Sorry."

Ash looked crestfallen. Then he perked back up and looked at Korrina. "Hey, so where are you traveling to?"

Korrina grinned. "Me and Lucario are traveling to Geosenge town."

Ash frowned. "Aww, I was hoping that you would travel down Route 27 with us. According to Serena's map, there's going to be a big tournament there in a week or two, and I want to compete."

Korrina shrugged. "Sounds like fun. I guess I'll be seeing you at the gym, then."

Ash blinked. "Wait, you're the Shalour City gym leader!" he exclaimed.

"You bet!" Korrina replied, pumping her fist.

"Well, then I'm going to beat you!" Ash said with determination.

Korrina smirked. "We'll see about that." She turned, gave Erin a meaningful glance, then slung her bag over her shoulders. "Lucario and I should be on our way. It was nice meeting all of you!"

Clemont nodded. "Alright, we'll be seeing you around then." He turned back to an invention that he was currently working on.

Erin took a deep breath. "Guys, wait." Everyone looked back over at her. "I want to go with Korrina to Geosenge Town."

Everybody was silent after that. Serena was the first one to speak. "Wait, so that means... you're leaving us?"

"Yeah," Erin said softly, "I guess I am."

"Why do you need to go to Geosenge Town?" Elle asked.

Erin glanced down to her waist, where three pokeballs were strapped to her waist. _I need to know more. Who is the Syndicate,_ _and what do they have to do with Team Galactic and Team Flare?_

Instead of verbalizing what she was thinking, she said "I want to learn more about Mega Evolution, and Geosenge Town is the place to do it."

Everyone was quiet again. All of a sudden, Bonnie ran forwards and threw her arms around Erin. "B-b-but I don't want you to leave," she sobbed into Erin's side.

Erin returned Bonnie's hug. "Hey, it's not like I'm leaving forever. Summer camp is in a month, right? We can meet up there!"

Bonnie broke away and walked back over to her brother. Ash, Elle, and Clemont all offered their farewells, then started to disperse to pack up the camp site. Only Serena lingered behind.

She was still in her nightclothes, a hot pink onesie with a big bow on the front. Erin could see her lip quiver, and she saw betrayal in her eyes. "I thought that you said that we would always travel together."

Erin sighed. "Serena, I'm sorry. It's only for a month. You could come with us."

Serena shook her head vigorously. "I can't," she whispered.

 _She can't leave Ash. She could never leave Ash. It's going to kill her when he leaves the region._ "Serena, I have to go."

Serena bit her lip in an obvious attempt to stop from crying. "No, you can't just go! You promised!" Her accusatory tone bit through the camp, and everyone turned to look at them again.

"Serena..."

Serena kept on talking. "It's just... I know that we fight a lot, and you still haven't told me who you really are. I just thought... maybe for a second I thought that you could be the sister that I never had."

Erin hugged Serena, and she stopped to talking. "I'm coming back, Serena. We are sisters, and I always will come back."

"I promise."

 **[A/N] I'm sorry. It's short, but it had to happen. Before anyone asks, the two groups will be splitting episodes, and Ash will get all of his canon Pokemon. They will all meet back up at Summer Camp. Remember, folks, your feedback makes my writing improve! Make sure to review and enjoy!**


	17. Mega Revelations!

Chapter 17 – Mega Relevations

 **[A/N] Here we are with chapter 17! I'm sorry that this is late. To make up for it, chapter 18 is already half done. Also, this is only Erin's perspective. It was a choice between a 2000 word chapter two days late or a 5000 word chapter a week late. Don't worry, we'll catch up with Ash and Serena next chapter. Now, responding to reviews.**

 **DrafteeDragon – Your questions about Paul will be answered in this chapter. Thank you for the feedback and awesome review!**

 **Amourshipping Guest – No, I'm sorry, but it can't work. Thank you.**

 **As always, I love reading and responding to your feedback! All reviews will be answered, and criticism is welcome.**

 **Erin's Perspective – Route 10**

"Paul!"

The mauve haired boy groaned and stirred in his sleep. Erin and Korrina were standing in his tent, trying to get him to wake up. It was freakishly clean, with all of his stuff neatly set to the side in a way that it would be easy to get in a hurry.

"Wha?" he mumbled.

Erin rolled her eyes. "C'mon, wake up. We're going."

That got Paul up. Blearily, he rolled out of his sleeping bag and rubbed his eyes. "What do you mean, we're going? What are you even doing here in the first place?"

Erin grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "I just told you. Korrina and I are traveling to Geosenge town, and you're going to come with us."

Paul pulled away from Erin, and looked over to Korrina standing next to her. "I thought we talked about this last night," he growled. "I'm not traveling with Ash."

Erin fell silent. Korrina said what she was thinking. "Ash isn't going with her. The others are traveling down Route 27 to go to some tournament."

Paul didn't respond for a while, and an awkward silence stretched out while. Finally, he said, "Fine, but get out of my tent."

Erin smirked and ducked out of his tent. Korrina followed her out, and the two of them sat and waited for Paul to emerge so they could leave. He did so, grumbling the entire time. They packed up the camp and set of towards Geosenge Town, which according to Korrina was roughly two days from where they were at present time. A long day of walking and hiking was interrupted only by a short lunch break. Finally, they decided that they had traveled far enough, and they set up camp.

"I made sandwiches!" Korrina exclaimed. "Everybody come and eat up!" All of the Pokemon and Erin chorused in enthusiasm.

Paul groaned. "We just had the same thing for lunch!"

Erin poked him in annoyance. "Who cares? They're great!"

Paul rolled his eyes. "I don't understand why we can't just get on Pidgeot and fly there. It would take twenty minutes, and we could eat at a resturaunt there."

With a full mouth of food, Erin muttered, "You're impossible."

Paul shrugged. He grabbed a sandwich and took a tiny bite out of the corner. "There, see? I ate it. Happy?"

Erin groaned. "Just put the damn sandwich in your mouth and eat it!" Then, a mischevious idea came into her head. _"Ralts, can you make him eat it?"_

Ralts grinned across the table, and a glint came into her eyes. _"Already done."_

A light blue glow surrounded Paul, and he began to ravenously eat his sandwich, barely pausing to chew and swallow. When the entire sandwich was gone, the glow faded, and a furious look showed on his face. Ralts and Erin collapsed into a hopeless fit of giggles. "Hey!" he yelled. "That wasn't funny!"

"No," Erin gasped, "It was hilarious." She held her hand up to her shoulder and Ralts gave her a high five.

Korrina smirked. "Paul, I'm SO glad that you enjoyed my food so much. Perhaps you'd like another sandwich?" She held the triangle up and waved it at him.

Paul burried his face in his hands. "Dear Arceus, why did I ever agree to come with you?"

Erin winked at him. Korrina turned to look at her. "Hey, I got an idea! Lucario and I need to be really strong to use Mega Evolution, so maybe we could battle you!"

Erin stood up. "Sure, why not? It can't hurt, that's for sure." She turned to Paul, who was sullenly watching their exchange. "Are you going to officiate, or are you just going to sulk there?"

Her only response was Paul turning away with a hmph.

Erin could feel Ralts' confusion. _"Why is he such a jerk?"_

 _"I don't know."_

"Forget about him!" Korrina yelled. "Let's battle! Go, Lucario!" Lucario strode onto the battle field with a non-commital grunt.

Erin turned and looked over at Druddigon. "You up to battle?"

Druddigon nodded. "Drud gon di drud."

 _"_ _He says he's ready, and he's going to destroy that Lucario,"_ Ralts translated.

Erin blinked in surprise, and turned to Ralts on her shoulder. All day, she had been trying to speak with Ralts only using telepathy, but now it just slipped her mind. "Wait, you can talk to all of the other Pokemon?"

Ralts gave her an exasperated expression. _"Yeah, if you hadn't noticed, I am a Pokemon."_

"Oh" was all that Erin could manage. Shrugging off her surprise, she turned back to the battle that was about to start. "You can have the first move."

"Yeah!" Korrina called. "Lucario, use swords dance!" Ghostly swords appeared around Lucario, and he seemed to become more powerful. _She just raised his attack power._

"Dragon claw!"

Power up Punch!"

The two powerful attacks collided, but the punch quickly overpowered Druddigon and sent it skidding backwards towards Erin, who gritted her teeth.

"Druddigon, don't let it get near you! Use dragon rage!"

The beam of energy struck Lucario straight in the chest and did lots of visible damage. It went flying backwards and skidded across the ground before flipping back over and quickly shooting of a blue ball of aura. It clipped Druddigon's wing before flying off into the forest.

"Yay, Lucario!" Korrina cheered. "You were awesome! That aura sphere was great!"

Paul raised an eyebrow from the sidelines. "Sure, but aren't you supposed to be the one to call out the command?"

Korrina's mood changed in an instant. She drooped, and said, "Aw, I thought that we had fixed that."

Erin was confused. "Fixed what?"

Korrina sighed. "You see, Lucario and I have been partners forever, ever since he was a Riolu. Once he evolved, grandfather decided that we should go out and figure out how to be as strong as possible so that we could Mega Evolve. It's just... Lucario sometimes doesn't listen to me in the middle of battle."

Paul sighed and turned away. "That's what I thought."

Korrina looked shocked, and Erin angrily turned on Paul. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Paul turned back to her. "It's pathetic, that's what it is. You're a full blown Lucario trainer, as well as your grandfather, and you don't even know how it handles its own aura!" he spat, before turning back away.

Korrina's mouth dropped, and she stood there and stared at Paul for a second. Erin could see tears forming in her eyes, and her fists clenched up. She turned and ran off into her tent.

Lucario was raging mad. His eyes had gone from their ususal blue to a crimson red, and he stomped up to Paul menacingly. Paul calmly sat as Lucario raised one fist, but he lowered it after he heard Korrina sob from inside of her tent. The aura Pokemon hurried in as an obvious attempt to comfort the gym leader.

Erin was furious. _"You might want to go into your Pokeball, I don't think you want to hear or feel this,"_ she said to Ralts, who silently agreed. In three flashes, her Pokemon disappeared into their Pokeballs. She stalked up to Paul.

"What. The fuck. Was that." Her tone was pefectly flat, but her fists were shaking in rage.

Paul turned to her with an angry glint in his eyes. "It's true. Maybe if she properly trained her Lucario, I wouldn't have had to do that." He was met with Erin punching him in the face. "Ow!"

Erin couldn't remember the last time she had gotten so furious at someone. "What the hell is wrong with you today, Paul? Ever since we met up with Korrina you've been acting like a complete douchebag to everyone. Don't you care about anyone else's feelings?"

Paul frowned. "I care about strength, and she is mistraining that Lucario. She doesn't deserve to take care of such a powerful Pokemon if she doesn't understand how to handle its aura."

"Gah, you're impossible! Why can't you be like the Paul who's my friend right now, and not the Paul who's a complete asshole? Can't you see how much you just hurt her?"

Paul looked slightly alarmed, but maintained his surly atmosphere. "I- look, Erin, I'm sorry, it's just th-"

Erin crossed her arms. "Don't apologize to me, you dimwit. Apologize to the girl who is crying in the tent because of you." She turned around and stormed towards the tent.

"Erin!" Paul cried, somewhat desperately. She didn't turn, but instead ducked under the loose tent flap and entered.

Korrina was a hot mess. She had ripped her skating apparel off, and it was strewn to the side around her. She was violently sobbing, with her arms around her knees and her head burried between them. Lucario awkwardly sat to her side, seeming to not have any idea of how to comfort her. She didn't look up as Erin entered the tent.

"Korrina." She didn't look up, so Erin settled down next to her and hugged her. Lucario briefly looked unsure, then embraced Korrina as well. In a flash, Ralts appeared from her pokeball. Fora while, they sat there as Korrina gradually calmed down and her crying turned into hiccuping.

"It-It's all my fault," she made out.

Erin shook her head violently. "No, it's not. Don't listen to Paul, he's being a complete asshole." This only served to make Korrina start crying again.

"N-no, he isn't. He's right. I-I-I'm a terrible trainer." Saying this out loud seemed to shock Korrina into silence, and the tent was quiet.

Erin frowned. "Korrina, you aren't a terrible trainer! I mean, Lucario is way strong, and you almost took out a Tyrannitar yesterday in a single hit!"

Korrina closed her eyes and shook her head. "Yes, I am. I-I've heard of aura, but I don't know how to use it. Lucario, he- he has moments when he can see to much, or he gets overwhelmed in battle, and he just collapses. I've been so focused on us getting stronger that I've completely forgotten about making sure that Lucario is okay." She leaned against Lucario and sighed. "I don't know how to help Lucario."

Erin felt terrible, but she realized that Korrina was mostly right. _It's actually true. She never does any meditation or anything._ "I'm sorry about Paul," she whispered. "He usually doesn't act like that. He's totally different when we're alone."

Korrina just shrugged. She was staring emptily into space as she stroked her Pokemon's fur. Erin sighed and left the tent.

"Erin," Paul called. She tried to ignore him, but she could feel him watching her, so she spun around indignantly.

"What?"

"I have an idea on how to help Lucario."

 **Later**

The camp was silent.

It had been an hour since the fire had burned out. Korrina and Paul had both retired to their respective tents. Erin, however, had dragged her sleeping bag outside, and was now lying on it. She was wearing a soft grey tank top, coupled with jet black sweatpants. Ralts was lying beside her.

 _"_ _There are so many stars in the sky..."_ Erin thought in awe. Indeed there were. The entire galaxy seemed to be spread out before her, an array of twinkling lights in the night sky.

 _"_ _But there are always this many stars,"_ Ralts responded in confusion. _"My mommy used to say that Kalos was blessed by Arceus in ancient times to be the most beautiful region of all."_

 _"_ _I'm not from here. Where I come from, there is lots of pollution, and the light from the buildings blot out the stars."_ Erin smiled sadly, thinking of her house. She sometimes wished for the normalcy that she remembered from her old life. However, she couldn't bring herself to think of leaving Serena, Druddigon, Paul, and Ralts.

 _"_ _That's so sad. How could you see the constellations if you can't see the stars?"_ Erin could feel Ralts' sadness across their bond, and she wanted nothing more than for it to go away.

 _"_ _Can you tell me about your constellations?"_

 _"_ _Sure,"_ Ralts replied. _"There's Raquayza, who's tail always points north. Machoke sits to the right, and on his belt is Mega, the brightest star in the sky. Solgaleo and Lunaala face each other to the east. Mareep is on the horizon. Finally, Dratini will always point to Raquayza."_

Erin couldn't help but to wonder at all of the constellations that Ralts had pointed out. _"That's incredible. We have some of those in our world, but we called them by diffent names. Raquayza is the big bear, and Dratini is the little bear. Machoke is Orion, who was a grat human hunter, and Mega we call Bellatrix."_

 _"What is a bear?"_ Ralts asked. _"Is it a Pokemon?"_

Erin laughed, breaking the thick silence of the night. _"No, a bear is an animal. It looks a lot like an Ursarang, I guess."_

Ralts smiled and cuddled closer to Erin, and she hugged the tiny Pokemon. They stayed like that until gradually slipping into sleep, calmed by the presence of their mental connection.

That night, they were tucked in under a blanket of stars.

 **[A/N] So, about this chapter. Paul so far has only been talking to Erin, and he hasn't exactly had his nasty side come out yet. Korrina seems like a prime target for him.**

 **Also, did Korrina come off as Bipolar to anyone else who watched the anime? She takes any criticism really, really poorly. She's also really fun to write.**

 **Remember to leave a review and tall me how the chapter was! Next time, expect to see new catches, lots of Serena, and TRio as well!**


	18. Electrifying Catches!

Chapter 18 – Electric Catches!

 **[A/N] It's late again. I apologize. The chapters will start to pick up again once the tournament has started and Erin gets to Geosenge.**

 **On another note, my new story Generation II is now up! Click on over to my profile and check it out! Now, to respond to reviews:**

 **DrafteeDragon – This review made me laugh so hard. Thank you for the review!**

 **Amourshipping Guest – No, I'm sorry. Thank you anyways.**

 **I'mma Genius** **-** **Thank you for reviewing. I actually really appreciate criticism, because it does help me improve. I have three justifications for my choice of Druddigon. I agree that the egg hatching so soon didn't necessarily make sense, but if it hadn't, I would have had to add a filler chapter in, so… First, Erin gets in over her head pretty quickly, and I needed her to have a Pokemon who actually might have a possibility of doing decent vs a pseudo-legendary. Second, Druddigon is both an important part of my plot and a good counter to Ash's eventual team. Third, I wanted to give Erin a unique starter Pokemon. I didn't want to use any of the main starter types, or something cliched like** **R** **iolu. I figured the way to go was either with a fairy or dragon type, so I opted for the most forgotten dragon type** **Pokemon** **.**

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

"Look, a waterfall!" Bonnie exclaimed.

The group had been walking through the thick forest of Route 27 since they had left Erin and Korrina that morning. They had just come across a beautiful clearing with an enormous waterfall falling from a cliff.

"Hey, I know!" Clemont exclaimed. "We should stop here and take a break for lunch."

"Lunch!" Ash exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a Rapidash."

Bonnie looked hopefully up at Serena, who was walking next to her. "Serena, can you make us macaroons?"

Serena looked down at Bonnie and tried to muster a smile. In truth, she was still shaken from the morning's events, but she didn't want to let the young girl see it. "Sure, why not?"

A wide grin broke out on Bonnie's face. "Yay! Dedene, are you ready for lunch?" She picked up the tiny mouse.

"Ne nene!"

Serena couldn't help but to smile faintly as the young girl ran over to her big brother. She was just so energetic, and she couldn't help it. She felt someone poke her shoulder, and she turned to see Elle standing behind her. "That was nice of you."

Serena shrugged. "She looked so hopeful. How could I say no?"

Elle smiled, and they both watched Bonnie dash around in circles with Chespin and Dedene. "She really looks up to you."

"I guess so," Serena replied in a subdued way.

Elle pursed her lips and sighed. "Erin's coming back, you know."

Serena stared at the falling water pooling at the base of the falls. "I know, it's just… I haven't felt so far away from her since we left Vainville."

"Just don't think about it," Elle advised. "Go watch Ash train, or something. I'm going to groom Skitty." She settled down on a nearby log and released Skitty, who leaped into her lap with a delighted purr.

Serena nodded and aimlessly wandered across the clearing towards where Ash had released his Pokemon to train.

"Alright," he said, "Froaky, we can't let what Grant told us get us down! We're going to be stronger than ever!"

"Fro froaky fro!" the blue frog exclaimed. He was joined by Fletchinder and Pikachu.

Ash grinned. He had discarded his hat and his jacket in favor of a plain white tank top and shorts. "Alright, Froaky, Pikachu, I want you two to do a mock battle." Cries of affirmation came from the Pokemon. "Alright, then use water pulse!"

Froaky's ball of water flew through the air, only to be met by Pikachu's thunderbolt. It crashed through the yellow beam of energy and continued heading towards the yellow mouse. Pikachu's tail hardened and turned a steely yellow color, and it split the water pulse in half, which exploded behind him. The mouse Pokemon then sent an electro ball back at Froaky. The frog disappeared in a puff of smoke, and a small green doll took his place. The doll was destroyed by the electric attack, and Froaky came flying out of midair with a massive pound. Pikachu blocked it with iron tail, and the two Pokemon were knocked back to their respective sides. An electro ball collided with a cloud of bubbles, in midair, and steam filled the air. Pikachu burst through the cloud with a quick attack, and Froaky went flying backwards into a tree.

Ash ran onto the battlefield waving his arms. "Okay, that's it! Pikachu, Froaky, you did great!" He walked over to Froaky, who seemed dazed by his collision, and picked him up. "Froaky, you were way strong in that battle!" Froaky grunted noncommittally.

Serena walked over to Ash. "Ash, you've trained your Pokemon really well."

A faint hint of scarlet came to his cheeks. "Thanks Serena, but it isn't me. They deserve all of the credit."

Serena smiled. "That's what I like so much about you."

Ash looked confused. "What was that?"

She blushed, and her voice went up a full octave. "What? No, nothing at all! I didn't say anything!"

Ash looked ready to respond, but Clemont cut him off. "Lunch is ready!" Ash shot Serena a funny glance, but dropped the matter, and walked over to get food.

Serena followed him over. She was busily eating when she noticed a small ear poking up from a nearby log. Frowning, she pushed away from the table and walked over to take a look.

Cowering inside of the rotten stump was a tiny Pachirisu. Its fur, normally a sleek blue and white, was filthy, caked in mud and filth. It looked up at Serena with an expression of abject terror. Her heart melted as she saw the small Ele-squirrel. _It's so small and cute; how could it have gotten in this condition?_ Reaching down, she scooped Pachirisu up in her arms and cradled it. Pachurisu tried to shrink away, obviously terrified. "Hey, it's okay," Serena cooed, "I'm not going to hurt you."

Ash stood up and walked over to her, eyes widening when he saw the tiny Pokemon cradled in her arms. Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder and onto Erin's. Sparks flew between his cheeks and Pachirisu's, and he turned to Ash. "Pikapi, pi pi, pika chupi chu pika."

Ash frowned and nodded, and looked at Serena. "I think he says that Pachurisu is just a baby, and it sounded like it's been going through some tough times."

After talking to Pikachu, Pachurisu now looked up much more hopefully at Serena. "Pachi pa?"

Serena smiled. She rubbed the small Pokemon's cheek, and it gave a delighted squeal. "I know just what you need. How does a nice bath sound? After that I can groom your fur!"

Pachurisu vigorously nodded its head, and Serena set about cleaning up the small Pokemon.

 **Later**

"All done!" Serena exclaimed. She was lying in the grass next to Fennekin, and they had just finished grooming the delighted Pachirisu in front of them. "Don't you feel much better now?"

"Pa!"

"Great!" she exclaimed, happily picking up Pachirisu and hugging it. They were interrupted, however, by a crash in the nearby bushes. Something came hurdling through, directly towards Serena.

"Watch out!" Ash screamed. Serena barely had time to turn as he dashed towards her and knocked her out of the way. The thing hit Ash square in the chest, knocking him backwards before striking a pose.

"Lucha!" it cried triumphantly, before turning a threatening glare towards where Serena had been. However, she was not where she had been.

Serena shook Ash. "Ash!"

Ash opened his eyes, clearly dazed. "You're okay." He shook his head, then narrowed his eyes at the Pokemon who was staring at them.

Serena hugged Ash as he tried to get up. "Don't do that!" she whispered, "You scared me."

Ash looked confused, and not for the first time, as he stood up. He grabbed a pokeball from his belt, and yelled at the brown bird-like Pokemon, "Hey, what was that for?"

Serena held out her Pokedex and pointed it at her assailant. It beeped as it came to life.

HAWLUCHA, THE WRESTLING POKEMON. POSSESSING AN ARTISTIC WAY OF EXECUTING ITS MOVES, HAWLUCHA TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN THEIR ELEGANCE.

Hawlucha pointed threateningly at Serena, who was holding Pachirisu in her arm. "Cha cha hawlu!"

Ash shook his head. "You're not getting to Serena! Fletchinder, I choose you!" In a flash, the bird appeared on the field. "Use steel wing!"

With a caw of acknowledgment, Fletchinder shot towards Hawlucha, with his wings a steely gray. Much to Serena's surprise, the Wrestling Pokemon was able to match Fletchinder's speed, and a Karate Chop hit Fletchinder away.

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Fletchinder, we need to be faster. Use flame charge!" Fletchinder's body burst into flames, and he came back around at Hawlucha faster than before. The impact knocked Hawlucha into the air.

In midair, Hawlucha spread its wing and fell towards Fletchinder. Ash frowned. "Fletchinder, dodge that!" The fire bird gracefully swooped to one side, and Hawlucha crashed into the ground.

Ash stared in surprise for a second, then called, "Finish this with peck!" As the super-effective move hit, Hawlucha slumped to the ground in defeat. Ash, with a determined look on his face, took a pokeball from his belt. "Pokeball, go!" he yelled as he chucked the ball at the Pokemon. It shook five times before dinging to show a successful capture.

Ash ran over and picked up the pokeball. "Alright, I just caught a Hawlucha!" he cried, striking a victory pose.

"Pi pikachu!"

"Fletch fletchinder!"

Serena smiled. "That's awesome, Ash. I just wonder why it attacked me." Pachirisu gave a happy squeal in her arms. It looked at the pokeball, then it nuzzled Serena's arm.

Serena looked at Pachirisu. "Do you really want to come with me also?" she asked.

Pachirisu nodded vigorously. "Pa pachi pa!"

Serena blushed. "Okay, that's awesome." She rooted around in her bag and came up with a pokeball, which she held out in front of her. "So do you want to come with me?" Pachirisu hit the button, and the ball dinged an instant capture, and Serena smiled. _I just got my second Pokemon!_

Now with two more Pokemon, the group cleaned up, and set off again on the road toward the tournament, just a short day's walk away.

 **Team Rocket's Perspective**

"So… Hungry..." James moaned.

The team rocket trio was currently lagging behind the twerps in their endless quest to steal Pikachu.

"Maybe we can get some food from wild Pokemon!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Dat's a good idea, Jess," Meowth agreed. "I saw some of dose forest Pokemon way back where munching on some berries. Let's find those again."

The team nodded in agreement, and walked back the way that they had come. They walked for thirty minutes before coming across a tree that had a Pachirisu, Patrat, and Sentret clustered around a pile of berries.

James' eyes widened, and he started to drool. "Food!"

Before team rocket could act, however, three massive Pokemon emerged from the bush and swept up the pile of berries. It was a Machamp, a Ursarang, and a Conkledurr.

Without thinking, Team Rocket jumped out of the bush in front of the Pokemon. "Hey, that's our food!"

The Machamp stepped forwards. "Ma Machamp ma!"

Meowth bristled at hearing the Machamp's comments. "Oh yeah? Roll da motto, guys."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of growling hunger."

"To extend our reach to berries asunder."

"Jessie."

"James."

"Team rocket blasts off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now, or prepare for a hungry fight."

"Meowth, dat's right!"

They ended their motto to see the three Pokemon rolling around on the floor in laughter. Jessie had a furious look on her face. "You want to laugh at us? Pumpkaboo, use dark pulse!"

"Inkay, use psybeam!"

As the two attacks collided with the wild Pokemon, they were driven back several paces. Machamp looked up furiously, and began to charge a focus blast. Jessie and James watched the oncoming attack and clutched each other in fear. The attack fired and they were sure that they were going to blast off, when suddenly…

"Wobbuffet!"

James stared at the mass carnage of the scene in front of them. "I have to say, that was certainly unexpected."

The focus blast had been reflected by Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat, and had blasted the entire clearing with an intense level of energy. All six of the wild Pokemon who had been around were thoroughly knocked out, and all of the trees had been destroyed in the blast.

"I know!" James exclaimed. "We should catch the Pokemon for the boss!"

Jessie's eyes shone. "Alright, we need to create an overcomplicated mecha that has way more features than we need. Then, we need to snatch all of the Pokemon and put them in a cage. Then, we need to flaunt our captures to the twerps. After, we can celebrate!" She had hearts in her eyes.

Meowth rolled his eyes. "Or, youse two lugs could throw some of dem Pokeballs and catch them."

Jessie thought about it for a second. "I know! We should catch them in pokeballs!"

James' eyes widened. "Good idea, Jess! Surely this will catch the boss's attention!"

Meowth sighed and face palmed.

 **Later**

The screen blinked on. Giovanni's face appeared, looking very annoyed. "Oh, you three," he said with disdain.

"Sir!" all three rockets said with a salute. "We have caught six rare and powerful Pokemon for the good of team rocket!"

Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "Yes, what are they?"

"Well," James started, "Let's see. There's Sentret, Patrat, Pachirisu, Ma-"

Giovanni growled, and James immediately fell silent. "If you are wasting my time right now, you should go and do some actually valuable work!"

"Sir," James squeaked, "We also caught Machamp, Conkledurr, and Ursarang."

Giovanni thought for a moment. "You three… did good." The three rockets nearly died from the praise. "Listen, are you still based in Kalos?" They nodded. "Good. I am nearly ready to make my move, and you three will be necessary."

Without another word, the screen went black.

 **Riley's Perspective – Kalos Coast**

Bzzzt.

Riley looked up from his meditations with Lucario. He was actually getting a call on his phone! Calmly, he walked across the stone floor of his simple cabin and picked up the phone. The video screen read "Audio Only."

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hey, this is Paul," the voice on the other line said.

"Paul?" Riley asked, surprised. "I haven't seen you since we left Canaclave in February!"

"Yeah, look, I have a… situation." Paul sounded bored on the line, and Riley grinned. Typical Paul.

"Sure, what's up?"

"There's a Lucario who can't control its aura. Its trainer isn't a guardian, and her mentor only taught them how to fight. Can you help us?" Paul sounded remorseful, almost. Riley frowned. Something must have happened, it was unlike Paul to call for help.

"Sure, come by my cottage. I'm down the coast from Shalour city. Take the reflection cave bypass to get here."

"Understood." With that, the phone blinked off without a word of goodbye. Riley settled back into his meditation, wondering what had happened to Paul.

 **Clemont's Perspective – Route 27**

Ash settled down next to Clemont on his sleeping bag. "G'night," he mumbled.

Clemont poked Ash. "Hey, what was that with Serena earlier?"

Ash frowned. "I'm not sure. I just didn't want her to get hurt, and the thought of someone hurting her made me angry, I guess.

Clemont frowned. Over the past month, he had started to formulate a new theory about Ash and Serena, but it was still to early to know for sure. Still, this only helped to prove it. "Goodnight, Ash."

"Good night."

 **?'s Perspective - ?**

"She's almost at Geosenge."

"Good. Has everything gone according to plan?"

"Yes. The line is on course."

"It is time."

"Time for what?"

"I must speak to her."

 **[A/N] And there you have it. We have something with Ash. The start of his own crush, perhaps? Team Rocket is stupid as always, but the manage to do something right by dumb luck. Also, who better to help Lucario than Riley?**

 **No, Erin and Ash will not have aura, and neither will Paul.**

 **As always, I want to hear from everyone! Reviews and criticism are welcome!**


	19. Prophets of Time

Chapter 19 – Prophets of Time

 **[A/N] This is it. For eighteen chapters, I have been dropping hint for this one, and this is the first major plot twist of this story. Honestly, I think this is one of the best chapters that I have ever written, and I really hope that you guys enjoy it.**

 **On another momentous note, this story has now topped 50,000 words! The level of support everyone has given so far has been crazy. This story has more than 9000 views, 44 reviews, 37 favs, and 46 follows. Everyone who has read this story, I really cannot thank you enough.**

 **On that note, let's respond to some reviews.**

 **DrafteeDragon – Hopefully this chapter has enough action for you. Pachirisu and Serena bonding is definently coming up in the next few chapters. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Amourshipping Guest – Thanks!**

 **MiraculousInfinityZie – I'm actually really surprised that nobody has picked up on that before now :) We'll just have to see, won't we? Thank you!**

 **Guest – Paul is already here and Riley will show up soon. Dawn may make a cameo at some point, but she wont have a major role. Also, one other plot relevant character I won't disclose will definently show up at some point. I can try to work Barry in, but he wouldn't show up for a while.**

 **Erin's Perspective – Geosenge Town**

"Finally!" Korrina shouted at the top of her lungs. "We made it to Geosenge town." She was jumping up and down, holding Lucario's hands, who looked somewhat dazed.

"Couldn't she try to keep it down a bit?" Paul muttered under his breath.

Erin shook her head and smiled as she looked down over the quaint town ahead of them. Geosenge Town was quite a sight to behold. Sloping red roofs covered the white houses, and interspersed with the town were all manner of rock formations. They were standing on the hill overlooking the town.

 _"_ _Why are there so many square things?"_ Ralts asked. _"Are there people living in each one?"_

Erin smiled at the question. _"Yeah, and sometimes there are many people in a single house. Anyways, this is nothing! Just wait until we get back to Lumiose City. There are so many buildings that you can't even count them all."_

 _"Whoa..."_ Ralts said in awe, and Erin giggled.

"Are we ready to go, guys?" she asked Paul and Korrina.

Korrina was gone before she could finish her sentence. "Let's go!" she shouted over her shoulder.

Paul sighed as he and Erin started to walk after her. "That girl needs to calm down."

Erin secretly agreed with him, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that, so she stayed silent. Ever since Paul had yelled at Korrina, traveling with both of them had been very tense. Calling Riley had somewhat fixed the problem, but it was still very awkward.

Erin caught up to Korrina as they were entering the town. She gasped as she saw all of the rock stores around her. All manners of different rocks, from intricately carved statues to precious gemstones, were on display. Some shops even had lesser evolution stones. One Shiny stone in particular caught Erin's eye with its gleaming inner spark.

 _"My daddy evolved using that one,"_ Ralts said, pointing at the stone.

"So, where is this Mega Stone?" Paul asked Korrina pointedly.

"No clue!" Korrina exclaimed brightly, and Paul hung his head in dispair.

Erin sighed, and tried to avert a conflict. "Maybe we should split up and search the town. We could meet back here if we don't find anything."

Paul and Korrina both nodded, and they all went their seperate ways. Erin stared nearly constantly as she walked through the crowded town. She walked into a shop that was titled "Rarities in Rock." As she pushed through the door, bells rang overhead signifying her prescence. "Hello?" she called into the dimly lit store.

An old shopkeeper stood up from behind a desk in the back of the shop. "Good afternoon, miss. How can I assist you in your needs?" He had a funny accent, and Erin found it hard to tell what he was saying.

"Um, do you have a Lucarionite?" she asked hesitantly.

The man shook his head. "Why no, I most certainly do not. What sort of stone would that be?"

Erin frowned, and her heart sank. _This might be a bit harder than I thought._ "Well, it's a Mega stone, for Mega Evolution?"

The man cupped his hands to his ears. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe I heard you right there, honey. Mega whats-it?"

Erin sighed and shook her head. "Never mind."

The man leaned back in his chair. "Well, if there's any way I can help you, just let me know."

Erin nodded, and she took a quick look around the room. Mostly, she only saw various different kinds of stones, but in the corner a glint of gold caught her eye. "What's that," she murmured under her breath. Reaching over, she extracted it from under a much larger rock to find a golden locket in the shape of a heart. When she tried to open it, it fell open, revealing that there was nothing inside.

 _"_ _What's that?"_ Ralts asked, trying to get a better glimpse of the locket from Erin's shoulder.

 _"It's a locket. You put pictures inside of it."_ Clutching the golden chain in her hand, she made her way over to the counter and set the piece of jewelry down. "Excuse me, sir? How much would this cost?"

The man picked it up and examined it. "Hm, now normally, this would go for 2,500 Poke, but because of all of the trouble I put you through, you can have it for a thousand," he said with a wink.

Erin frowned. _Can I afford this?_ "Dexter, how much money do I have?" she asked her watch.

Her watch blinked to life. ERIN HAS 750,000 POKE IN HER ACCOUNT BALENCE.

Erin's jaw dropped, and the shopkeeper looked at her with an appraising stare. "Well, that is some serious cash, if I do say so myself."

Erin's mind was spinning wildly. "I think that I'll take it at full price," she said slowly, and the man nodded. One short transaction later, and Erin had a golden pendant at the bottom of her purse. She quickly said goodbye, and exited the shop, sitting down on a nearby bench.

 _How do I have so much money on this watch anyways? Who even made it, for that matter?_ All of a sudden, she remembered something that had happened right at the beginning of her journey.

 **Flashback**

Professor Sycamore looked at the two girls standing in fron of him, and handed Serena a Pokedex. "You can use that to scan the Pokemon. Erin, I suppose that you'll be needing to get a Pokedex as well. I normally would have had two, but your visit was registered under Grace, so I forgot I would be seeing sisters."

Serena stepped forewards to try to say something, but Erin cut her off. "Professor, it's fine. I already have this." She held out her Poketch, which beeped on.

HELLO. MY NAME IS DEXTER. I AM A CUSTOM POKEDEX PRODUCED FOR ERIN BY STATIC. ERIN CURRENTLY HAS ONE POKEMON IN HER PARTY. MY SCANNERS WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY IT IN ITS CURRENT STATE, HOWEVER.

 **End Flashback**

She had never figured out who the Poketch's maker had been. It had just shown up at the beginning of her journey, sitting in her bag when she found it conveniently lying in Serena's house. For that matter, how was she supposed to explain all of the wierd things that kept popping up around her?

Ralts teleported off of Erin's shoulder and onto her lap. " _Erin, what's wrong?"_

 _"Something strange is going on here, Ralts. Something has been changing this whole journey, and something put me here in the first place. I just can't come up with what."_ Erin looked at her Poketch, sitting innocently on her wrist. So much had changed since she started this journey. For better or for worse, the Pokemon world was very different than it was in the anime.

Ralts surprised her just then with her wisdom. " _I don't think that you should worry about what is happening,"_ she advised. " _I think you should be worried about why."_

That, if anything, only made Erin feel worse.

 **Later**

Erin checked three more stores after that, but she found nothing but normal rocks. More importantly, however, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The air felt heavy, and she felt like something was happening in Geosenge Town, something she couldn't explain.

"Hey, Erin! Come over here!" Korrina called. She spun around to see Korrina and Paul standing under a large stone arch.

She walked over to them. "Did either of you find anything?"

They both shook their heads, and Erin sighed. Suddenly, a voice cam from behind them. "Hello! I'll take yer pictures, yes I will."

Erin turned to see an old man with a massive beard. Paul stepped forwards. "I'm sorry. Who are you supposed to be, exactly?"

Erin groaned inwardly at Paul's attitude. The man, however, seemed unfazed. "Mah name's McGinthy, and y'all needs to scoot closer together."

Paul looked ready to say something, but Erin shot him a glance which silenced him. The three companions inched together, and the shutter flashed a photo. McGinthy took the film off of the camera, and handed it to an assistant. "Go and develop that real quick, won't you?"

"Um, excuse me, sir," Erin said, "But is there any chance that you know where we could find a Lucarionite?"

"Hm..." McGinthy said, stroking his beard. "Now, I've heard of a cave on yonder mountain that has a very special evolution stone inside. Mayhaps ye want to check out over there?"

Erin nodded. "That sounds about right. Korrina, wanna check it out?" The honey haired girl nodded, and the trio started to walk towards the path.

"Wait," McGinthy called. "You know, they say terrible things have happened to people who aren't worthy of entering those caves." His assistant ran back up to the old man, and handed him three printed photos.

"Bullshit," Paul growled. "In the past two weeks, Erin and I have helped take down a Salamance and a Tyrannitar. We'll be fine, right Erin?"

Slightly uncomfortable at being put on the spot, she shrugged with a faint smile playing across her lips. McGinthy raised an eyebrow. "Eh, is that so? Go ahead, then; don't let me stop you." After handing a photo to each member of the group, they started to walk up the rocky mountain trail.

Erin looked around her nervously as they walked through the gorge. Something was horribly wrong. The air around her had an unnatural heaviness, and she could _feel_ it. Ralts felt her emotions across their bond, and she shivered. _"What_ _is that_ _?"_

 _"I don't know."_ Her hand almost instictively went down to her pokeballs.

Paul noticed this, and he looked over at her inquisitively. "What's wrong?"

Before Erin could respond, Korrina butted in. "Wow, Paul, you're actually asking how someone else is feeling? I would have never guessed." She was sarcastic, but a hint of bitterness invaded her tone.

Erin smiled, but her uneasy feeling returned. "It's not important. Come on, let's get to this cave."

Fifteen minutes later, they stood outside of a deep set gouge in the cliff wall. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Korrina asked. "Let's go!"

Right after that, everything happened at once. Ralts and Lucario both shrieked in alarm, and a massive rumbling sound was heard from above. A boulder tumbled off of the high clifftop above them, and Erin gawked as it fell directly towards them. The air grew heavier and heavier until it felt like she was underwater, until a massive roar shattered the boulder and shook the foundations of the earth and sent Erin tumbling to the ground.

And then it all stopped.

Erin's shoulder smashed into the ground. She layed there for a second, groaning in pain.

The first thing that she notice was the quiet. Just a moment ago, she had heard the whistling of wind, the crash of the falling boulder, Korrina's scream. Now, she heard nothing.

 _"Erin?"_ Ralts asked in a terrified tone, _"What is happening?"_

Slowly Erin looked up, and her mouth dropped in awe. Seemingly suspended in midair, Paul and Korrina both were frozen in midfall. Around them, hundreds of tiny shards of rock floated around them. Erin and Ralts stared, but nothing moved. _"I think... I don't know what to think._

She got to her feet slowly, as if moving any faster would send everything back into reality. Hesitantly, she touched a nearby rock shard, and it floated away from her. "Weird," she muttered. Ducking and dodging her way through the floating rock field, she walked over to Paul and Korrina. Gently, she touched Paul, but nothing happened. "Paul?"

Ralts shivered. _"Mommy always told me that there were gods in the Pokemon world. I just never belived it until now."_

Erin frowned as she poked Paul again. The mauve haired boy floated a couple of inches away, but otherwise nothing happened. _"Gods? What do you mean?"_

 _"Isn't it obvious?"_ Ralts asked, and Erin shook her head. _"There's only one Pokemon powerful enough to do this."_

 _"Who?"_

Ralts frowned as she looked at the bizzare scene. _"The lord of time himself, Dialga."_

Erin blinked furiously as the implications of what Ralts had just said sank in. _"Wait, so you think that time just... stopped?"_

 _"Yeah, pretty much."_ Ralts glowed a light purple on Erin's shoulder, and Paul and Korrina floated away from the stones to a safer area.

Erin stared at her Pokemon. _"And you're just COOL with that?"_

Ralts shrugged. _"What else am I supposed to do? Freak out? Daddy says that the best way to solve a problem is to use your mind."_

Erin sighed. She couldn't quite wrap her head around the idea of time stopping. Although, it would explain the feeling she had been feeling all day.

"Erin," a booming voice seemed to come down from above her on the mountain. She looked up and spotted a person standing on the mountain top directly above her and Ralts. "Come to the summit of the mountain. The time has come for you to speak to me."

Erin and Ralts looked at each other. _"At this point, I don't even know what to think."_

 _"Maybe we should take the path and see what's on top?"_ Ralts asked.

Erin shook her head. _"No, I have a better idea."_ She grabbed Druddigon's pokeball off of her belt and threw it to reveal the Cave Pokemon. Druddigon looked around Erin, obviously freaked out. "Hey, calm down," she said. Druddigon gave her a look obviously saying 'What the hell is going on here?' She sighed. "I have no clue what's going on, but I need you to take us to the top of this mountain." Druddigon grunted in acknowledgement, and a few seconds later they were on his back, scaling the mountain.

Druddigon, as it turned out, was an incredibly skillful climber. Erin watched the top of the cliff as he climbed up its rocky crags, but she couldn't spot the person again. Ralts dug her hands into Erin's shoulder to stay on. After a few minutes of climbing, Erin, Druddigon, and Ralts reached the summit of the mountain.

Standing opposite of Erin was a cloaked person. Their cloak was a dark black, and it flowed out behind them. Erin stepped forwards, flanked by Druddigon. "Who are you?" she called across the eerie silence, her voice echoing throughout the mountain. "How did you do this?"

The person turned around, and Erin got a good look at their face, and she gasped. Cerys' lip turned upwards in a smirk. "So you have come to Geosenge town in search of answers, but instead you have only found more questions."

"You!" Erin shouted. "What do you want with me?"

Cerys' eyes flashed. "I suggest that you hear what I have to say, considering that I am the only one who can unfreeze time as it is right now."

Erin narrowed her eyes, and clenched her fists determinedly. "Fine, I'll listen to you, but I want a battle first; a real one this time. Two on two."

"Fine," the woman said. She drew a dusk ball from her belt. "Go." A brown and black Pokemon appeared in front of Cerys. Erin pointed her Poketch at it.

KROKOROK, THE DESERT CROC POKÉMON, AND THE EVOLVED FORM OF SANDILE. THE SPECIAL MEMBRANE THAT COVERS KROKOROK'S EYES DETECTS HEAT, WHICH ALLOWS IT TO SEE IN THE DARK. THIS POKEMON IS A DUAL GROUND AND DARK TYPE.

Erin grinned. "Well, in that case, Deerling, you're on!" Her luxury ball opened to reveal the small deer, who looked at Krokorok in determination. "We'll move first. Use tackle!"

Cerys shook her head. "You need to be stronger than that. Dodge and crunch." Krokorok deftly sidestepped Deerling and caught her hind leg in a massive bite. Deeling cried out and Erin gritted her teeth.

"You want to see strength? Use razor leaf!" Unable to get away in time, Krokorok took the hit straight in the face, driving it off of Deerling and back towards Cerys.

"Earthquake." Krokorok stamped its foot, and the entire mountain started to shake.

"Jump and use razor leaf!" Erin yelled. Deerling sprang up into the air, and a green glow appeared in front of her. It solidified into a massive ball of energy and shot towards Krokorok at an incredible speed, knocking it backwards.

DEERLING JUST LEARNED ENERGY BALL, Dexter said. "Awesome!" Erin shouted. "Now, use leaf attack!"

Cerys shook her head. "Fire fang." Before Deerling could even form her leaf shield, Krokorok had already chomped down on her flank with the super effective move. Deerling collapsed in a dead faint.

"Deerling, return!" Erin called, and nodded to Druddigon, who stepped onto the field. "Dragon tail." Druddigon's tail glowed green and slammed Krokorok across the field to slump at Cerys' feet.

The other woman's face darkened as she glared at Erin. "What I have to say is far more important than this petty battle. Go!" Erin's eyes widened as Cerys drew an ultra ball from her belt. The Pokemon that emerged was an absolute monstrosity.

"She has a fucking Hydreigon!" Erin screamed. "Druddigon, watch out!"

"Draco Meteor." Hydregion shot a glowing orange orb straight up, and it exploded into flaming meteors which crashed down around shaking the foundation of the mountain. Druddigon screeched in pain as a meteor scored a direct hit, and Erin returned him. A meteor was headed straight for Erin and Ralts, but Ralts teleported in front of Erin and threw up a Protect, shattering the meteor on contact.

Erin couldn't believe how powerful Cerys was. _She was playing around with me at the Battle Chateau, and she's toying with me right now. Just how powerful is she?_ "Alright, you win. Now tell me how the hell you stopped time. What do you even want with me?"

Cerys returned Hydreigon, and the mountaintop was once again silent. "You will know in due time. Today, you must understand the danger of the Syndicate."

Erin frowned. "Wait, you mean Mars and Bryony? What about them?"

Cerys narrowed her eyes. "You have already encounter them, as well as one of their leaders, J. You must get stronger, or else they will destroy the world."

Erin blinked. "Wait, what?"

Cerys walked towards her and pulled out a necklace from her cloak. "Here, you will need this." Erin grabbed it and shoved in her pocket, more intent on Cerys than anything else.

Erin's voice was desperate. "Why am I here? What do I have to do with this?"

Cerys drew her hood back, revealing close cropped blue hair. "You have a role to play, Erin. You were brought her for a reason. When you need to find what you are looking for, go to the deepest cave in the Azure Bay. You travels will lead you to Anistar city sooner than you may think. Consult with Olympia then. When all else seems lost, seek me out. Then, you will find the answers you are looking for."

Erin shook her head, overwhelmed by all of the information she had just been given. "Why?"

Cerys smirked. "You still don't understand, do you?" She drew a pokeball – no, a masterball – from her belt. "Hidden Power!"

A shadow emerged from the ball, and the entire mountain was light up a bright green. On Erin's hand, her mark flared to life stronger than ever before. The three black lines with a longer line striking through all three of them seemed to pulsate. The same mark appeared above Cerys, a black shadow hanging over her head.

"Save your friends, Erin. We will meet again. Remember the Dialga Institute."

The green disappeared, and the massive roar was heard again. Cerys instantly vanished, and Erin stood there, gaping at the spot she had just been standing in. Suddenly, time returned to normal.

The mountain began to collapse.

 **[A/N] Cliffhanger! Cerys make her first appearence since chapter seven, and boy is it a big one. Erin is finally starting to realize that something is really off. Please leave a review and tell me how it was! I also think this chapter can give some clues about the rest of the story too, and I want to hear what your speculations are! Pokefan87, signing out.**


	20. The End of Innocence

Chapter 20 – The End of Innocence

 **[A/N] I have to apologize to you guys here. I had horrendous writers block after I finished Erin's perspective in this chapter, so it's late and the Serena part is bad. I'm sorry. I will go back and rewrite the last part at some point, but I'm not sure when.**

 **There's an announcement at the bottom of this chapter.**

 **10000 views and 50 follows after last chapter! You guys are great! Now, to answer some reviews.**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark – Thanks for all of the reviews!**

 **DrafteeDragon – Thank you as always!**

 **Amourshipping Guest – Thanks!**

 **MiraculousInfinityZie – I have to say, I have never played Mystery Dungeon, so I don't know much about the plot. Thank you so much for all of the compliments! Your reviews are awesome!**

 **Erin's Perspective – Geosenge Town**

Erin and Ralts stared in horror at the spot where Cerys had been when the mountain began to shift and crack up underneath of their feet. _"We have to get Paul and Korrina,"_ Erin thought desperately.

Ralts nodded, and she teleported in the blink of an eye. Moments later, they were standing next to Paul and Korrina. The two teens were lying on the ground. Paul slowly got up, holding his head. "What just happened?"

Erin shook her head. "No time to explain. Give me Pidgeot." Confusedly, Paul tossed her Pidgeot's ball. Erin looked over at Ralts. _"Can you teleport both of them?"_

Ralts' eyes widened as she realized what Erin was about to do. _"No, you can't! I can't leave you here!"_

Erin shook her head grimly as the mountain started to crumble. _"There are people around the evolutionary stone mines. They'll die if I don't help them."_

 _"Fine."_ Ralts touched Paul and Korrina and they both disappeared. Erin took a deep breath and dashed out of the collapsing gorge. She released Pidgeot from his pokeball as she got to the edge of the cliff. Steeling her resolve, she jumped, landing safely on Pidgeot's back.

Unable to stay together after a barrage of powerful attacks, the mountain was disintegrating. Bits and pieces of rubble were quickly turning into a full fledged land slide. Erin gritted her teeth as she scanned the area around her for any people unfortunate enough to have been caught stranded on the mountain.

In a deep quarry, a man and a Machoke were dashing up a steep slope as fast as possible. Ralts teleported back onto Erin's shoulder, and she guided the majestic bird into a nosedive towards the man. Just as earth was about to overtake them, Pidgeot's claws dug into their arms and he swooped into the air with a triumphant caw. Erin nodded to Ralts, and she and the two men disappeared again.

In the next ten minutes, as the mountain started its slow collapse, Erin, Pidgeot, and Ralts saved fifteen more miners, as well as several Pokemon. Time was nearly up, however, as the rivulets of earth turned into a landslide covering the entire mountain. A flash of blue caught her eye, and she guided Pidgeot over to see what it was.

Near the top of the rocky path, a Mega Lucario was projecting a massive aura shield in front of several terrified hikers. Erin and Pidgeot zoomed towards them, and Ralts instantly teleported two away. As she neared them, the Lucario's trainer turned around, and Erin gasped. "Gurkinn?"

The old man turned. "Help us! Lucario can't hold up for much longer!" Sure enough, the Pokemon's aura shield began to falter, caving in against the massive wall of earth.

Ralts reappeared on Erin's shoulder. _"I- I can't teleport anymore. I'm sorry."_

Erin frowned. _"We need to figure something out."_ Nudging Pidgeot's flank, Erin dove towards the two hikers. When they neared them, Pidgeot grabbed onto the men with his talons and flew back and down, leaving only Gurkinn and Lucario on the rapidly disappearing cliff.

Gurkinn frowned down at her. "Go! You can't hold our weight! We'll be fine!"

Erin shook her head wildly. "No! You have to jump!" Gurkinn shook his head, and Erin looked around wildly for an answer. She spotted a nearby hilltop that rose just above the cliff, and Pidgeot shot off towards it at blistering speeds. They reached it, and Pidgeot set the hikers down, before turning 180 degrees and flying back towards Gurkinn.

Just as they were about to get back to the cliff, Lucario fell to one knee and the aura shield disappeared. Erin screamed as the wall of earth slammed into the man and Pokemon, enveloping them and tumbling over the cliff before taking it with it. "No!" she shouted, and Ralts thought the same.

Erin spotted a bit of blue, and Pidgeot dove towards it. He grabbed Lucario with his talons and pulled him out of the earth and into the sky in the nick of time. The jackal-like Pokemon slumped in its clawed embrace, obviously exhausted. As they rose back up, the piles of earth collided with the deep gorge below, burying it in layer of dirt and rubble. As the dust rose, the mountainside was silent.

"Gurkin..." Erin whispered. She stared in shock as the implications hit her. "Gurkinn!"

Pidgeot spiraled downwards to land on top of the pile of rubble. Erin and Lucario jumped off and both desperately began to search. As neither of them found any signs of the man, Ralts levitated above Erin's head and her eyes glowed blue. _"Found him."_ A spot of rubble glowed bright blue, before shifting slightly, causing a mound of rubble to collapse inwards, revealing Gurkinn.

The man was still alive, but barely. A giant wound to his head from a rock was bleeding, and he was covered in filth. He was obviously passed out. Erin stared at him with shock and bleak horror. _"Is he… dead?"_

 _"No, but he will be if we don't hurry."_

Erin and Ralts quickly loaded the man onto Pidgeot's back, and Lucario jumped on beside them. The hikers Erin had dropped off were already on their way back to Geosenge town, and Erin shot past them on a desperate course for the Pokemon center. They flew past the ruins of the mines and filled in roads until Geosenge town came into sight. Hundreds of people had congregated in the main square nearby the Pokemon center, and Erin spotted several of the men she had save receiving emergency medical care.

With a massive caw, Pidgeot came in for a landing right in front of the center. A chorus of ragged cheers met Erin's arrival, but she ignored them and jumped off of the Pokemon's back. Lucario and Erin lifted Gurkinn off of Pidgeot's back and laid him on the ground next to the Pokemon center, where Nurse Joy had just exited. "Oh my!" she yelled as she saw the state that Gurkinn was in. "Stretcher! Take him straight to the emergency care unit!"

Nurse Joy disappeared with Gurkinn and Lucario into the Pokemon Center, and Erin collapsed onto the ground, both physically and emotionally exhausted. She didn't even have the will to cry. Ralts crawled into her arms, and they sat in front of the Pokemon Center not moving until Korrina and Paul ran up to her.

"What the hell just happened?" Paul asked. "Why was there a landslide? Thank god you're okay!"

Korrina looked desperately worried. "Why was grandpa's Lucario there?"

Erin looked up at her and burst into tears. She stood up and walked slowly into the Pokemon center after returning Pidgeot, ignoring the cries of her friend and Ralts' pleas to listen. Knowing Paul and Korrina were following her, she walked to where Gurkinn had been taken. The white door to the emergency unit was locked, but Erin walked up to the window, where she could see Gurkinn inside with Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff.

A shriek came from Korrina, who had walked up behind her. "Grandpa!" she screamed as she looked at the injured man behind the glass. Nurse Joy came over and unlocked the door in an effort to quiet her down, but she pushed past her and collapsed by her Grandfather's side, sobbing.

Erin stared at Korrina. She shouldn't have to suffer through this. This was her fault.

 _I should never have let him stay._

 _I should never have challenged Cerys to a battle._

 _I knew it was a test the whole time. Why did we go on the mountain in the first place?_

 _We should have never left Ash._

 _I shouldn't be here._ _I shouldn't exist here._

 _I have to get away._

Erin took one hesitant step away from the window, then another. Her hands shook as she tightened them into fists, knuckles whitening. Erin could feel that Ralts was thinking much of the same thing. She turned on her heel and dashed down the long white corridor of the Pokemon Center, trying to get somewhere, anywhere but near the injured man and the sobbing girl.

Paul found her curled up in the corner of an empty room. Ralts was sitting next to her, unmoving. She looked up as he walked into the room. "Leave me alone," she muttered.

He stopped walking halfway into the room. "What happened on that mountain?" he deadpanned, oblivious.

Erin glared at him. She hated him – hated him for not understanding, for being such a selfish, unemotional jerk. "I said, leave me alone!"

Awkwardly, Paul stood in the middle of the room, obviously trying to come up with something comforting to say. "I – It wasn't your fault! Nobody knew the mountain was about to collapse!"

Erin had had enough. "NO, I DID! THIS IS ALL MY FUCKING FAULT! CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?"

The sterile white walls of the room rung as Erin's outburst filled the space. Paul walked the rest of the way over and sunk down on the wall next to Erin. Without Paul filling in the silence, Erin started to talk again.

"I left him, Paul. I left him on the cliff. There were the two other hikers, and I couldn't carry him, so I left him. I killed him. He's going to die because of me.

Paul's voice was barely a whisper. "Why did the mountain collapse?"

Erin's eyes flashed. "It was Cerys, Paul. She froze time, and then we battled, and she used earthquake and draco meteor. What does she want with me? Why is she screwing with me? I just want to go home."

Paul didn't know how to respond, but he awkwardly put an arm around Erin's shoulder, and she buried her face in his shoulder. "You want to go back to Vainville?"

Erin groaned. "No. I want to go back to my old life. I want to go back to the world where I was normal, where everything made sense. I want Pokemon to be a figment of my imagination again."

Paul pulled away and stared at Erin. "Wait, what?"

Erin sighed. She was done lying to Paul. "I come from a different world, where Pokemon is an animated TV show. I know every single detail of Ash Ketchum's life. I know everything about every battle you and Ash have ever had. I know about Reggie, and about Electivire. I know about you, Paul. One day, I woke up and I was here."

Paul's initial reaction was shock. He leaned back against the wall, disbelief plastered all over his face. Erin's face crumpled, and she mumbled, "Please don't hate me."

After some time, Paul spoke again. "No."

Erin looked up and over at him. "No? What do you mean, no?"

Paul shook his head. "You're wrong. You don't know anything about me. Four months ago, I woke up in a stranger's house with a Pidgeot and a Ninjask on my belt. I am who I have made myself out to be since then. Nothing more, nothing less."

Erin processed that. "So you believe me?"

Paul laughed. "My entire life is a lie already. Why shouldn't I go ahead and believe another one? It would certainly explain some thing about you."

Erin tried to muster a smile but she couldn't manage it. She then remembered something that Cerys had given her. "I can prove that I met Cerys." Paul looked over in interest as she dug the necklace that Cerys had given her out of her pocket. It was silver, with a tiny chain. Erin and Paul were both staring at a different part of it, however.

"Is that… a mega keystone?" Paul asked.

Erin silently nodded as she stared at the rainbow colored stone with a helix set into it. She undid the clasp on the back of the necklace and strung it around her neck so that it hung under her shirt.

"What else did Cerys do?" Paul asked.

"She said that I am here for a reason, and she showed me the sign with hidden power." Simultaneously, Paul and Erin both touched the back of their palms. "She said that she was from something called the Dialga Institute."

For a while after that, Erin and Paul were both silent. "We'll find them," Paul said softly. "First the Syndicate and now this. We'll stop J and find Cerys, and we'll both figure out why we're here. And after all of that..."

"What?"

Paul stood up. "I'll help you get back home. I promise. Now, are you coming?"

She was caught off guard. "Coming where?"

Paul frowned. "There are several hundred people standing outside waiting for the savior of the miners to come back out. You need to face them eventually."

As Paul said it, the feeling of guilt and dread Erin had managed to partially push aside flooded back in. She sank down further on the wall and shook her head.

Ralts clambered down off of her shoulder and onto her lap. _"Erin, I – I think I can help you."_

Erin looked down at her Pokemon and friend. _"_ _How?"_ she asked curiously.

 _"Well,"_ Ralts began, _"My species is called the Feelings Pokemon. It was how I was able to form our link. I think that I can take some of your negative emotions and trap them until you are ready to experience them."_

Erin shook her head as soon as she said it. _"No way. I'm not going to hurt you."_

 _"It will harm you more if you keep them pent up inside."_

Erin tried to think of a way to argue against that, but she was unable to come up with anything. _"Fine, just… please don't hurt yourself."_

Ralts nodded, and both her and Erin glowed a bright blue. Erin could feel some of the negativity drain from her thoughts, and she sighed in relief. It was like a weight had been lifted, and she could concentrate again. _"_ _Thank you."_

Ralts nodded, and Erin slowly stood up after she made sure that Ralts was firmly placed on her shoulder. If the tiny Pokemon hadn't been tired before then, she definitely was now, and Erin could feel that her psychic powers were nearly exhausted. Paul had left the room after she had started to talk to Ralts, and was patiently standing outside of the door to the empty room as Erin emerged. She nodded to him, and they walked down the hallway towards the stairs.

Erin slowed to a halt as the passed the sterile emergency room where Gurkinn had been taken. Nurse Joy was still trying to revive the old man. His Lucario sat vigil at his feet. Behind them, Korrina sat blankly looking off into the distance. Tear marks stained her face, and she looked absolutely desolate.

"Come on," Paul said. "There's nothing we can do for them right now."

Erin stole one last glance at the room before tearing her eyes away and walking down the carpeted stairs at the end of the hallway.

The lobby was chaos. Erin and Paul pushed past a pair of Jennies to find at least fifty people crowding around the help desks for whatever reason. The duo pushed past people until they reached the front of the line. A very haggard looking assistant was standing behind the counter fending off questions.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Paul asked politely. "Do you have any idea where they put the men who were saved?"

The woman nodded curtly. "Hotel Marine Snow. Next!" Erin pushed past the mass of people and they exited the center.

 _"Why are there so many people?"_ Ralts asked. _"Shouldn't they all be in their houses?"_

 _"Maybe,"_ Erin responded. _"_ _I think that they are all worried about the landslide."_

Tons of people were milling around outside of the Pokemon center, and Paul and Erin were unable to make out any signs.

Erin tossed Paul Pidgeot's pokeball. "We're never getting anywhere like this. Can he fly us there?"

Paul nodded, and Pidgeot appeared in a red flash. Cries of astonishment came from the assembled crowd as Erin and Paul mounted the giant bird and took to the sky. The hotel roof was easily recognizable from its light blue color, and Erin and Paul landed in front, where a jenny was guarding the entrance.

"Kids, I'm sorry, but you can't go in unless you have a connection with any of the men recovering inside," Jenny said, barring the door with her arms.

Erin stepped forwards. "I helped to save a lot of these men, and I'd like to see them."

Jenny frowned as she looked at Erin. "What's you're name? I'm inclined to believe you, but I have to know for sure."

"Erin."

Jenny nodded. "Alright, Erin, go ahead. I think there's a woman inside who was looking for you. You might want to go and talk to her."

Erin nodded and walked through the door. As soon as she did, however, she was assaulted by a familiar face. "Alexa?"

The Lumiose News reporter smiled grimly at Erin. "Hey. Is it true that you saved twenty lives today?"

Erin nodded, and Alexa scribbled something down on a little notepad. "Mind if I hit you up with an interview?"

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

"There it is!" Ash exclaimed.

Rising high above the rural route was a massive stadium obviously constructed for tournament use. Four tiers of stands were covered with a wall of concrete and steel. Posters on the side of the building announced a "Tournament Extraordinaire! Come to see the best trainers compete!"

Serena looked around the base of the building for the Pokemon Center where they had reserved lodging as tournament competitors. She spotted it and pointed. "Look, there's the Pokemon Center!"

"Yay! Let's go!" Bonnie cried, running ahead of the group.

Elle gave a relieved sigh. "Well, it will certainly be nice to sleep inside for once."

The group walked over to the Pokemon Center that Serena had spotted. Outside, however, a small crowd had gathered around a TV on the side of the building. Serena frowned. "I wonder what's happening."

The TV was showing a broadcast from Lumiose City News. A frantic looking reporter was sitting behind a desk onscreen. "Breaking news from Geosenge Town! Massive landslides were reported on the northern end of the town after the mountain literally collapsed without any warning."

Serena gasped as the TV cut to aerial footage of the mountain. For about five seconds, the mountain was fine before suddenly collapsing without any warning. "That's horrible..." she whispered to Elle, who nodded.

"Several hikers, as well as several miners, were present on the mountain, but a heroic trainer was able to save many of their lives. Several people are missing, and one elderly man is in critical condition. Our reporter is on the scene with the trainer now. To you, Alexa."

"Hey, Alexa is reporting about this!" Ash exclaimed as he watched the broadcast.

The woman and her Helioptile appeared on the screen. She was holding a Lumiose City News microphone. "Thanks, Malva. I'm here in Marine Snow Hotel in Geosenge, where the rescued hikers are currently being held. With me, I have a young lady who, along with her Pokemon, saved many of their lives. This is Erin Yvonne."

Everybody gawked as Erin appeared in the camera. "What?" Serena asked in a tone that sounded somewhere in between a squeak and a groan.

Alexa turned to Erin on screen. "So, tell me, how did you save all of these people?"

Erin frowned. Serena noticed Ralts sitting on her shoulder. They both looked incredibly tired, and Erin had tear streaks on her face. _What happened?_ "We were on the mountain when it happened. Ralts and Pidgeot and I just teleported as many people as we could away, I guess."

"So do you have any clue what happened?"

Erin hesitated, then shook her head. Serena frowned as Erin's hand went to something hanging around her neck, and her other hand touched the back of that hand. "No, I- it just happened, all of a sudden."

"She's lying," Serena murmured to Elle. "Why is she lying?"

Elle shook her head. "I don't know."

The broadcast moved on, changing to another topic. Serena and the group went into the Pokemon center, and got ready for the night, but they all had Erin on their mind. Serena and Elle shared a room, and Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont shared a room.

Lying in bed, Serena only had questions floating through her head. She was worried about Erin, and she couldn't help but to wonder what trouble she had managed to get herself into this time.

 _She's hiding something. She's been hiding something since I met here. I just wish I knew what._

Her spinning thoughts lulled her to sleep.

 **Later**

Ralts teleported into her room at midnight.

She crawled over Serena's back until she reached her head, and she carefully shook her awake.

Serena shot straight up, startled by the appearance of the Pokemon. She looked down at Ralts, and frowned. "Aren't you Erin's?" she asked.

Ralts nodded and handed her something. It was a letter, but something was attached to it. Just as soon as Ralts had come, she disappeared again, leaving Serena in the darkened room with only Elle's soft snores.

Serena frowned. "That was weird." She pulled the object off of the letter and looked at it with a gasp.

A beautiful golden locket shaped like a heart hung from a long chain. Serena opened the heart to find a picture of Erin smiling staring back at her. Her mouth dropped as the looked at her gift. "Thank you," she whispered, even though she knew Erin couldn't hear her.

With fingers trembling, she opened up the letter. The neatly folded piece of paper of then to reveal careful handwritten paragraphs. The letter went like this:

 _Dear Serena,_

 _I don't know if you heard about what happened in Geosenge town. Actually, for that matter, I don't know anything anymore. So much has happened over the past weeks._

 _Something is happening, Serena; something big. I wish I could tell you everything; how I got here, why I ended up in your house, but I can't. In truth, I never knew in the first place. Just… be careful, okay?_

 _Hopefully, the locket will remind you of me while I'm gone. Summer camp isn't that far off. We'll see each other again soon, I'm sure._

 _Your sister (sort of),_

 _Erin._

 **END OF PART ONE**

 **[A/N] And so part one concludes.**

 **This story will have three parts. The next on will go from Shalour to Coumarine City, before [SPOILERS REDACTED] I expect it to be about 30-35 chapters, but it may be shorter depending on how it goes.**

 **And now, an important announcement.**

 **My summer is crazy busy. Unfortunately, this means I wont have much time with WiFi access. So, expect updates to be VERY ERRATIC until August.**

 **THIS IS NOT A HIATUS. I will be taking this time to get a couple chapters ahead. Right now, I just post as soon as I finish my chapters. This will give me more leeway to post on time. I will try to get two or three chapters out over the next two and a half months. Thank you for (Hopefully) understanding.**


	21. The Tournament Extraordinaire!

Chapter 21 – The Tournament Extraordinaire

 **[A/N] I'm back with the first of (hopefully) three chapters coming out this summer! This is also the first chapter in Part Two, so hype for that! Also, we have official battles for the first time since chapter fourteen. It's been a while, hasn't it? New characters and plot, too.**

 **Now, responding to reviews:**

 **DrafteeDragon – Thank you for the support and understanding! Maybe you're on to something...**

 **Amourshipping Guest – Thank you! That time is certainly drawing closer, although maybe not for Ash so much.**

 **Quagsire12 – I'm glad you think so**

 **MiraculousInfinityZie – Wow, the length of this review is impressive. Thanks so much for all of the support. I'm really trying to make my plotlines more character driven, and I hope I'm succeeding. I do have a chapter or two before we can get back to Erin, Paul, and Korrina, though. Hopefully it won't be too long in between.**

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

"Welcome, trainers, to our Tournament Extraordinaire!"

The crowd went wild with excitement. Serena got to her feet along with everyone else in the stands as cheers ran through the stadium. She was watching the opening ceremony of the tournament along with the rest of her friends, with Fennekin sitting next to her. She had wanted to let Pachirisu out, but she had been worried that she might have been scared by all of the noise.

"Go Ash!" Bonnie yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. Dedenne mimiced her action, calling out his name as loud as possible.

"I'm positive that he will win," Clemont said with a smirk, pushing his glassed up the bridge of his nose.

Elle looked passively at the battlefield. Skitty was, as per usual, curled up and asleep on her lap. Her head was resting on her hand, and she had a distant look in her eyes.

Serena sat down and poked her. "Hey, Elle, what's up? You seem distant today."

Elle shrugged. "I dunno. Battling has never really been my thing. I've always prefered contests." She absentmindedly stroked Skitty's tail, and the kitten purred in her sleep.

Serena frowned. Contests, huh? That was a side of training she had never even thought about. "So why don't you do them? Isn't there something like that here in Kalos?"

Elle's face darkened. "No, my friend used to want to do them. I want nothing to do with her."

Serena's thoughts went back to the conversation they had had when they had first met. _That's right, didn't she say she used to have a friend who was really mean to her?_ "Oh." Her lame response was drowned out as the announcer began to talk again.

"That's right, folks! Today we have sixteen competitors! Eleven call Kalos home, while two hail from the Hoenn region! One boy has made the trek from far away Alola, on the other side of the globe. Finally, we have two esteemed trainers from Pallet town in the Kanto region. Now, let's meet our trainers!"

The battlefield slid open, and the trainers were standing on a platform rising out of the ground. Serena could see Ash standing in the middle of the group, smiling proudly with Pikachu sitting on his shoulder. She kept her eyes trained on her crush as the croud burst into another round of cheers. He was going to win the tournament; there was no doubt in her mind.

Elle, on the other hand, was frowning. "Did he just say that there were two elite trainers from Kanto in Pallet Town?"

Clemont nodded as he looked thoughfully at the grouped trainers. "I believe that he did. Maybe Ash will know the other trainer."

"Well, it won't matter!" Serena exclaimed, suddenly nervous about a new possibly unannounced rival. "Ash will win for sure, I know it!"

The group nodded as the announce continued. "However, Mesdames et Messieurs, this is no ordinary tournament. This is un tournament extraordinaire! So, to spice things up, we have decided to give each round a theme! Please turn your attention to the screen!"

A giant screen was set up to show results and battles. It changed in a flash to show four green boxes. Each one was long and blank, and they were all stacked on top of each other. "The theme for the first round is... starters!" The first box changed to show the theme name. "Competitors, please turn to the screen to see the first round pairings!"

On the screen, sixteen faces appeared, along with a symbol by their name indicating their region. Most had a Fleur-de-Lis, the ancient symbol of Kalosian kings. Ash, however, was facing off against a boy with a flower by his name. Serena frowned. _That must be the boy from Alola._ She also notice that the other trainer from Kanto was facing one of the Hoennese trainers.

"So it's a themed battle, huh," Clemont said, scratching the back of his neck. "This is going to be very interesting, I'm sure."

Serena watched as the trainers all exited the field before saying "Come on, we should go meet Ash in the reception area."

The group nodded and exited the stands in a rush of people who weren't staying for the first match. They walked through the busy crouds of the stadium towards the competitor's center. Vendors lined the walls, selling all manner of colorful Pokemon goods. Serena saw people selling evolution stones, food, berries, and even a new model Pokedex designed by a professor from Alola. They briefly stopped at one when Elle spotted a ribbon that she said looked particularly good on Skitty. Eventually, they forged their way through the busy crowds until they came to a large double doorway that seemed to be mostly empty. A small sign to the side advertised "Competitors welcome here."

Serena pushed through the double doors and walked into the center. A series of couches were set out to one side, and she walked over towards them. As she did, however, someone called out "Hey, Serena! Over here!"

She turned on her heel to see Ash sitting with another person. He was wearing a dark blue sweater, and he had spiky hair that was obviously geled into place. She sighed in relief. "There you are." She walked over and sat down next to Ash.

The other boy frowned and stared at her. "Wait a second," he said in a naisally voice. "Do I know you?"

Serena frowned before a glimmer of recognition ran through her. "Wait a second, I remember you! You were at summer camp with me and Ash! You're Gary Oak, right?" Oh, now she remembered this asshole. Hopefully he wasn't as bad as he had been.

Gary smirked and ran a hand through his hair. "That's right, the one and only. You're Serena Yvonne, right? I remember you and your sister from way back when. Is Ashy-boy still your boyfriend?" Serena turned beet red, and Ash looked at Gary with a face of utter confusion, and Gary laughed. "That's what I thought."

Nope. Definently the same old Gary.

 **Flashback**

 _The Bidoof was sitting peacefully in the middle of the clearing. It was a beautiful summer day, and two seven year olds_ _crouched behind a bush._

 _"Wow, look at the Pokemon!" Ash exclaimed. He was wearing a simple white tank top and shorts, and his unruly black hair was all over the place._

 _Serena wasn't so sure. Her giant pink hat poked out of the bush, but she tried to make herself as small as possible behind it. "_ _I don't know..." she whispered to her best friend. "It looks really scary."_

 _Ash smiled and shook his head. "Don't be silly! Pokemon aren't scary! They can be really nice. Come on, you'll see." He grabbed her hand, and she blushed as he pulled her out of the bush and in front of the Bidoof._

 _Bidoof tried to shy away as they walked over to it, and Serena cowered behind Ash's back. Ash would protect her, she was sure._

 _Ash crouched down by the terrified rodent and dug around in his pocket_ _before coming up with an Oran berry. "Hey, don't be scared! We just want to be friends!"_

 _"Bi?" the small beaver squeaked before biting into the blue berry. "Bidoof bi!"_

 _Ash looked back at Serena. "See? Pokemon are really nice! Wanna pet him?"_

 _Serena looked timidly at the small Pokemon._ _She crouched down and slowly stuck her shaking hand out. Bidoof looked at her hand and nuzzled it softly. Serena giggled. "It tickles!"_

 _Suddenly, another boy_ _burst into the clearing with an enthusiastic "Ashy-boy!" Bidoof's eyes widened and it bolted, sending Serena backwards onto her back. She sniffed as she felt her eyes water up. "Ow..."_

 _Ash knelt down next to her. "Serena!" He looked over at Gary and narrowed his eyes. "Hey, what was that for? You scared Bidoof and Serena!"_

 _Gary smirked. "What, is she your girl friend?"_

 _Serena blushed, but Ash only looked confused. "Yeah, she's a girl and my friend. You should be more careful."_

 _Gary shrugged. "Whatever. Grandpa was looking for you. He sent me to get you!" Gary turned_ _and ran out of the clearing. "Smell you later!"_

 **End Flashback**

Serena smiled as she remembered her time with Ash, then turned back to Gary. "So why are you here?"

Ash frowned. "Actually, I'd like to know that too."

Gary grinned and leaned back, hands behind his head. "You're looking at a full time scientist right now."

Ash's eyes shone. "Woah, really? You got a job this time?"

Gary nodded. "Yup, that's right. I finished my internship with Rowan, and I was offered a job working for a guy called Lysandre. He's running an organization that's researching the legendary Pokemon here in Kalos. He signed me on as the head of his research department! I thought that I would come here to compete for one last time before I start full time."

Serena decided to join the conversation. "Wasn't Lysandre the guy who invented the Holo Caster? I have it embedded in my town map."

Gary nodded with a spark in his eye. "Yeah, Lysandre Labs does a lot of research about Pokemon and how to make people's lives better. There's a mega evolution division, a legendary division, and a tech division. I think we're really going to help a lot of people."

"That's really cool," Ash said. Just then, the rest of the group caught up with them and plopped down on the couches around Serena, Ash, and Gary.

Clemont looked at Gary appraisingly. "Ash, who's this?"

Ash grinned at his former rival. Guys, this is Gary Oak, my childhood friend, former rival, and scientist. Gary, these are the people that I'm traveling with here in Kalos. Clemont is a gym leader and inventor, and this is his sister Bonnie. That's my other friend Elle."

Clemont reached out a hand, and Gary took it. "Nice to meet you, Gary."

Gary nodded and looked at Ash. "What happened to Misty and Brock, huh? I thought you were traveling with them?"

Ash suddenly looked very embarrased. "Well, I saw Brock when I went to Pallet after Unova, but... I haven't talked to Mist in ages."

Serena froze. _Misty? Who was Misty? And he called her Mist?_ "Who is Misty?" she asked cautiously. Elle shot her a look, instantly detecting her jealousy.

Ash awkwardly grinned. "Misty was the first person I met on my Pokemon journey. We traveled together through Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, and a bit of Hoenn. She's the gym leader at Cerulean City."

Gary looked at Serena and rolled his eyes before turning back to Ash. "You should really talk to her some time. She misses you." Gary stood up. "Anyways, I better get going. Blastoise can't be rusty for our first battle, now can he? Smell you later, Ash!" Gary walked out of the Competitor's Lounge leaving Ash, Clemont, Elle, Bonnie, and a steaming Serena.

Ash turned to the group. He seemed distracted for a second, then seemed to shake his thoughts off. "I need to go train as well! Let's go!"

 **Later**

Serena looked over Ash's shoulder as he poured over the file of the trainer he would be facing with Clemont.

"Hmm... Now let's see... It seems that his name is Shane and he's from Alola," Clemont said.

"I wonder what the Alola starters are?" Ash wondered.

Clemont nodded. "There's Rowlet, a flying grass type, Litten, a fire type, and Popplio, a water type."

Serena sighed and wandered off. She was still disturbed by the mention of that Misty girl by Gary earlier. Ash traveled with her through three regions? What if he... No, he couldn't. He hadn't seen her since he was thirteen, after all! They were sixteen now, it wasn't like he could have feelings for her... Was it?

"So I suppose I'm the one who has to rescue from a pool of self pity now?" Elle was leaning against a pole on the side of the massive stadium.

Serena sighed. "No, it's just..."

Elle rolled her eyes. "Come on, Serena. If he really liked her, he would have mentioned her at least once before now. If you like someone like that, you're going to want to spend time with them, right?"

"I guess you're right," Serena said doubtfully.

Elle sighed. "Come on, we have some free time. Let's do some training!"

Serena stared at Elle. "What am I training for?"

Elle looked at her exasperatedly. "I don't know, figure something out. I've been thinking about what you said earlier about showcases. Maybe I will try them out. I need to get Skitty, Swirlix, and Petlil ready for it, though. I heard that there's one in Courmarine city in about three months."

Serena smiled. "That's awesome! You should totally go for it!" Doubt crossed her face again. "But what should I do? Maybe I could watch you or something."

Elle was shaking her head before she had even finished her sentence, short hair flying around her head. "No, I need to practice alone. You should talk to Pachirisu. Have you let her out of her ball since you caught her?"

Suddenly Serena felt guilty. "Um... I tried to let her out this morning but she was sleeping."

Elle rolled her eyes. "Give her a pokepuff or something. I'm going to find somewhere to train." She walked off, and Serena looked doubtfully at her pokeballs. Shrugging, she sat down and released her Pokemon. Fennekin appeared on her lap with a happy yip, and Pachirisu appeared a short distance away.

Serena sighed as she looked as her Pokemon. "What am I doing?" she groaned. _Ash knows what he wants; he's doing the gym challenge. Elle wants to do performances. Clemont invents stuff. Bonnie wants to take care of Pokemon. What am I supposed to do? I'm just here because of Ash._

She looked up as Pachirisu timidly walked up to her. She tilted her head to one side as she looked up at Serena.

Serena dropped to one knee as she looked at her Pokemon. "Hey, what's up?"

Pachirisu frantically motioned. "Pachi pa su ri pa!" She turned and narrowed her eyes at the stadium. Fennekin and Serena both followed her gaze but saw nothing.

Serena frowned. "I don't see anything. Is something wrong?"

Pachirisu frantically nodded. She leaped into the air as a dark ball of energy formed between her paws and shot off towards what seemed like thin air. It collided with seemingly nothing and exploded in a cloud of black energy.

Serena's eyes widened. "What on earth was that?" She rumaged around in her bag and came up with her Pokedex, which she pointed at Pachirisu.

The Pokedex buzzed on, but before it could do anything, it exploded as a massive pulse of electricity pulsated from the place where Pachirisu had shot the ball of dark energy.

With a demonic giggle, an orange Pokemon surrounded by white plasma appeared. It flew off towards a door in the stadium, and Pachirisu dashed off after it.

Serena stood shellshocked as she held the smoking remaints of her Pokedex. A yip from Fennekin brought her back to her senses, however, and she yelled after the Pokemon. "Hey, come back! Pachirisu!" She and Fennekin took after the quickly vanishing Pokemon running towards the stadium.

Right as she and Fennekin approached the stadium, Pachirisu vanished through a black doorway in the side of the stadium. Without thinking, Serena plunged in after her, not realizing what was happening until after she had already gone through.

The door slammed shut, plunging her into darkness. Something knocked against the side of her head, and she fell unconcious in the surrounding darkness.

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

"Where is Serena?" Ash asked.

Elle sighed. "I don't know, Ash. It's been an hour since I saw her last. I told her that she should try to do some training."

Ash groaned. Serena couldn't miss this! He needed her to cheer him on! There wasn't a battle she had missed since they started their journey. And now, as he though about it, he didn't want her to miss his battle.

Clemont frowned. "Ash, we can go look for her, but your battle is starting now. You have to go on the battlefield or you'll be disqualified."

Gary nodded sagely. "Yeah, Ashy-boy. Go kick this Alola trainer's ass. We'll go find your girlfriend."

Ash stared back at Gary cluelessly. There was that Girlfriend word again. What was that even supposed to mean? He sighed. Gary made no sense. "Ok, I guess so. Ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika, Pikapi!"

As Gary, Clemont, Elle, and Bonnie walked away from him back into the stadium, Ash turned and walked out onto the battlefield, Pikachu on his shoulder.

"And from Pallet Town, the competitor in five different leagues, we have Ash Ketchum!"

 **Team Rocket's Perspective – Reflection Cave**

"We're lost fer sure, yew lugs," Meowth growled resentfully. "James, do ya know how to use a map? Dis place is giving me da creeps."

"Well, I don't care!" Jessie exclaimed violently as Wobbuffet followed her. "These stupid Zubats are screwing up my hair, and I need a shower! James, why are we even here in the first place?"

James groaned while lugging a massive bag over his shoulder. "While you two have been complaining, I have caught every Pokemon that we've seen so far so the boss won't get angry at us when we talk to him, which is what we are about to do. Rocket HQ is Kalos is just ahead."

Jessie groaned. "Whatever. Just get me away from these Zubat!"

The trio came to a black door deep set into the cave wall. In front of the door, two rocket agents in black uniform stood on guard duty, and they both recognized the trio. One with yellow hair stood forwards. "Jessie. James. Still as useless as ever, I see."

Jessie snarled at the two crooks. "Cassidy. Bitch."

James snootily turned his nose. "For your information, we have caught over fifty Pokemon for the glory of Team Rocket."

Butch's face was livid. "MY NAME IS NOT BITCH!"

Cassidy sighed. "Whatever, Boink. Listen, losers, you get fifteen minutes with the boss. Ariana isn't happy right now. I suggest you stay out of her hair."

Jessie and James gulped as the trio walked into the high tech base. Everywhere, rockets seemed to be hurrying around working towards some unknown goal. They walked through the base until they came to the holograph room, where someone seemed to be in an argument. The trio pressed their ears to the door to hear the last bits of an argument.

"You actually want to give this to those meddlers? They're going to destroy us!"

"My descision is final. Remember the true goal of Team Rocket. It is an Admin's responsibility to uphold them."

"FINE. Don't expect me to go through with this. I quit Team Rocket. The Syndacate is going to rule the world while you go through with this outlandish scheme."

"Then go!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth all jumped away from the door as a furious Ariana stormed out, ripping a red Rocket logo off of her chest. They cowered in fear as she screamed in frusteration before sliding into the holograph room behind her and shutting the door.

Giovani was looking down at his desk in the hologram, obviously thinking. He looked up as the trio entered the room. "Oh, it's you three," he said with disdain. "Remind me why I haven't fired you yet?"

"Sir!" the trio called, jumping to attention. James stepped forwards and dumped the bag of Pokeballs into the transporter. "We have caught fifty Pokemon for the glory of Team Rocket!"

Giovanni scanned over the transported Pokemon. "Why exactly should I praise you for catching fourty seven Zubats?" He glared at them, and they cowered down nervously. "Still, it is impressive that you caught a Conkeldurr, an Ursarang, and a Machamp, and your loyalty is commendable. I have decided to reward you with a mission."

Jessie, James, and Meowth passed out in excitement. When they came to a minute later, Giovanni groaned. "Whatever you say, boss."

Giovanni sighed at their antics and stroked Persian who was standing at his side. "I need you two to act as Team Rocket's emisaries in a business deal with Lysandre Labs. Now, here are the details..."

 **[A/N] Cliffhangers! What wil Ash's battle be like? What happened to Serena? What did Giovanni tell Team Rocket? All of this and more in... a ridiculously long time.**

 **Again, I'm really sorry, but I'm going to be at sleepaway camp for a month, where there is no electricity, let alone wifi. The soonest I can post again will probably sometime in late July. I appologize, but there's nothing that can be done. The next chapter is already done, but since I have no time to write, if I post it now, there wont be annother chapter until august, and nobody wants that. So... sorry. Thank you to everyone who was so understanding last chapter.**

 **Your reviews mean a lot to me, as always. On that note, Pokefan, signing out.**


	22. Lighting the Fires

Chapter 22 – Lighting the Fires

 **[A/N] Hey guys, I'm back! It's really been a while, hasn't it? I would have posted Saturday, but I read what I had written before I went to camp and it was kinda terrible, so I completely redid it. Hopefully this is a lot better, although slightly shorter that I originally intended.**

 **Also, this chapter is probably one of the darkest yet, so watch out for the T ratings. There will be fluff soon (Especially Amour) I promise. Now, for the reviews:**

 ** _Amour Guest_ – Thanks!**

 ** _DrafteeDragon_ – [Laughs Evilly] We'll just have to see about that, now won't we…**

 ** _MiraculousInfinityZie_ – I'm glad you like the mysteriousity. Basically everything that happens is building towards a main plot. I personally think that you could infer large aspects of what will happen (Lots of hints) but then again I'm writing it, so who knows? As for me, I'm on team Rowlet but I also want a Vikavolt and a Mimikyu. **

**Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

"And from Pallet Town, the competitor in five different leagues, we have Ash Ketchum!"

Ash grinned as he walked out onto the field, waving to the crowd. Pikachu cried out happily standing on his shoulder. He loved the battling, loved the tournament. _Serena should be here,_ a tiny voice nagged at the back of his head, but he pushed it aside for now. He had a battle to compete in!

"Now, from the far of Alola region, we have Shane!"

From the other side of the field, a boy in a typical Alolan floral tee walked out onto the field. Ash was surprised to see that he was younger than Ash was. _Strange, that doesn't seem to happen much._ Ash had celebrated his sixteenth birthday right before he had traveled to Kalos, with Iris and Cilan in the Decolore islands. Man, had it been a while since he had thought about them. He wondered what they were up to now.

"Competitors, please release your Pokemon!"

Shane grinned at Ash. "Hey, good luck. My Pokemon and I are totally prepared for your Pikachu! Did he really beat a Latios?"

Ash nodded, returning his opponent's grin. "You bet he did! Pikachu, you're up!"

With determined sparks flying from his red cheeks, Pikachu bounded onto the battlefield. Ash pumped his fist in determination. Rowlet and Popplio were both weak to Electric types, and they could handle Litten. They were done loosing battles. Kalos was going to be the league Ash Ketchum would win, and that all started here.

His mind drifted to Froaky. He was so determined to get stronger, but he simply seemed to be unable to move past his current levels. He needed Froaky; his speed, and his undying battle spirit. It killed him that Froaky seemed to be slipping away.

Shane smirked. "We've been preparing for this. Rowlet, you're up!"

On the battlefield, a small rotund owl appeared. It was green and beige, and what appeared to be a small bowtie adorned its chest. Ash pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the Alola starter.

ROWLET, THE GRASS QUILL POKEMON. ROWLET IS A GRASS/FLYING TYPE. ROWLET CAN ATTACK WITHOUT MAKING A SOUND! IT FLIES SILENTLY THROUGH THE SKIES, DRAWING NEAR TO ITS OPPONENT WITHOUT BEING NOTICED, AND THEN LASHING OUT WITH POWERFUL KICKS.

Ash grinned as he looked at the small Pokemon. "Pikachu, this should be easy. It's no different than Tropius or Shaymin."

Shane frowned. "What's a Shaymin?"

"It's a legendary Pokemon from Sinnoh," Ash called. "We helped to save it along with Giratina and Regigigas."

Shane looked like he was about to faint. "You met all of those legendaries? Just how many have you met?"

Ash frowned. "Well, I haven't met Raikou or any of the Kalos or Alola legendaries yet."

Before Shane could respond, the announcer began to talk. "This match between Ash and Shane is about to begin! Ash, you may have the first move! Battle, begin!"

Ash smiled. "Let's start this battle off strong! Pikachu, use electro ball!" Pikachu leaped into the air and shot off a crackling ball of electricity which zoomed towards the small owl.

"Quick, Rowlet, counter with Leafage!" Rowlet opened its wings wide and shot several green leaves towards the electro ball. The energy pulse ripped through the weak attack, but diverted it enough so that it missed the Pokemon.

"Quick attack!" Ash called. Pikachu dashed towards Rowlet as a pearly white aura surrounded him.

"Remember our counter, Rowlet!" Shane called. Ash gasped as right before the quick attack hit the Grass Quill Pokemon, it lashed out with a powerful double kick attack. Pikachu cried out as it was sent skidding backwards towards Ash. "Now, use dig!"

Pikachu looked around wildly as Ash frowned. _I thought it was a flying type._ Pushing that thought aside, he called out his counter. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the ground!" Pikachu nodded, then jumped up into the air as his tail took on a metallic sheen. As he fell, he spun around as his tail crashed into the ground, obliterating a good portion of the field and sending Rowlet flying into the air.

Shane narrowed his eyes as Pikachu sent a thunderbolt towards Rowlet. "Quick, use acrobatics!" Rowlet glowed a light blue and started to fly to and fro towards Pikachu.

Ash knew it was time to pull out their trump card. "Now, Pikachu, use counter shield!"

A cocoon of sparking electricity sprang to life around the electric mouse as he spun around on the ground. Unaware, Rowlet flew directly into the matrix of electricity and fell to the floor of the battlefield. It struggled to its feet.

Shane gritted his teeth. "Quick, use Leafage to blast a hole through, then escape using acrobatics!"

"Iron Tail!"

As Rowlet tried to force his way out of the web of electricity, Pikachu slammed his tail into Rowlet's back, sending him flying back through the electricity. Rowlet slammed into a far wall, obviously knocked out.

"The winner of this battle, and the person moving on to the next round, will be Ash Ketchum!"

Pikachu gave a happy squeal as the counter shield dissipated, and he dashed over to Ash and settled on his shoulder. Ash smiled and scratched Pikachu's head. "You did great out there, buddy. It's been a long time since we used the counter shield, hasn't it?" Pikachu nodded in agreement.

Shane smiled sadly as he recalled Rowlet. "Great job, buddy. You tried your hardest out there." He stood there as Ash walked over and stuck out a hand. "That was an amazing battle! Pikachu is so strong!"

Ash beamed at the younger trainer. "Thanks! We've been through a lot together, haven't we?"

"Pika!"

"Ash!" He spun around to see Elle dashing towards him. "Come quickly! We found where Serena was, and it looks like there was a fight!"

Ash's mind spun wildly. Serena could have been hurt? "I'm coming, let's go look!" He and Elle both ran off of the field.

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

"Fennekin!"

Serena's eyes snapped open as she gradually came to. Fennekin was worriedly staring at her. She was creating a soft fire in front of Serena, illuminating the otherwise pitch black room. With a groan, Serena picked herself up and moved herself into an upright position.

She could feel waves of throbbing pain coming from the back of her head. "Ow..." she moaned as her hand flew up to touch her hair, which was slightly wet. As her hand came away, she held it up in front of the flame to show a bit of blood. Her stomach lurched, and she resisted the urge to puke.

Turning around, she spotted the door she had fallen through. With a cry of relief, she ran towards it. As she reached it, however, she realized that there was no doorknob. Throwing her hands against it, she cried "Help!" at the top of her lungs. As she did so, the door glowed purple and the sound simply disappeared.

Shocked, she took a step away and sat back down on the floor. "I'm stuck," she said. "My head hurts and I'm stuck." Unable to stop herself, she began to cry. Fennekin jumped into her lap, concerned. Sobbing, she reached down and touched her flank. "I don't know what I'm doing, Fennekin. I'm hurt and I just want to go home."

Shaking her head, Fennekin jumped at Serena and licked her face, involuntarily causing her to smile. Shakily, she said, "You're right. I can't just give up on Ash." Looking around, she frowned. "Where did Pachirisu go?"

Fennekin made a confused gesture, and Serena stood up. Fennekin's light was bright enough to see around the room she was in, which appeared to be some sort of closet. On the other side of the room was a metal door. She walked over to it and pushed.

The door swung open to reveal a dimly lit hallway stretching out underneath of the massive stadium. The red lighting gave the hallway an eerie feeling. At the end, a black entrance was illuminated. Cautiously, Serena inched down the hall towards the entrance and slipped under the rectangular doorway.

"So I see you've finally gotten your sorry self out of that storage room. How… fortunate for you."

Serena spun around to see a heavy set of blast doors slide shut where she had come through. With a sinking feeling in her gut, she stared upwards to see the sneering face of Hunter J staring down at her. Nausea and dizziness overtook her again, and she stumbled backwards into the waiting grip of two black clad men. Another man grabbed Serena's pokeballs and returned Fennekin. Too weak to pull away, Serena looked up defiantly at the white haired woman. "Who are you? What did you do with Sanpei?"

J smirked and leaped down from her balcony. Gracefully landing, she walked up to Serena, who gulped when she saw the manic glint in the woman's eyes. "It's truly a shame that you aren't Ash or Erin. Otherwise, you would know better that to question my motives!" A gloved hand knocked Serena's face to one side.

Serena's world went dark for a few seconds. Once she fully regained conscience, J walked past her, and the two grunts holding turned her towards the interior of the massive chamber they were looking over. They were standing on a large circular platform overlooking a massive antechamber. The ceiling was the bottom of the tournament field, and muffled rumbles could be heard coming from above. In the center of the chamber stood a giant black machine with a massive cavern inside. Inside, a single black stone was visible, suspended by rows or psychic energy. Grunts swarmed around the structure and the hundreds of cages surrounding it.

"Your sister's efforts to stop us from collecting the necessary psychic Pokemon for the next step of our plan was commendable." J's knuckles whitened as she gripped the bannister in front of Serena. "Of course, we just went back and retrieved the Gardevoir and Gallade the next night. Now, we can take the first true step towards our ultimate goal."

Serena's head was spinning. _What's happening? Why does Erin know J? When was she trying_ _to stop her?_ Honestly, she replied, "I have no clue what you're talking about."

J sneered at her. "Simple. The Syndicate's going to rule the world." She turned back to the machine and threw a hand. "I can't kill you, but the boss said nothing about letting you die here. Lock her up."

Serena screamed as a gloved hand covered her mouth before the two grunts took her and Fennekin away. The last thing she saw before blacking out was J turning away from her.

 **Erin's Perspective – Route 11**

"As more search and rescue teams return from the collapsed mountain, the death toll has risen to over a hundred as the deadliest natural disaster in recent Kalosian history unfolds. Damage repair efforts could rise into the trillions, according to several high ranking League economists. Champion Diantha delivered a speech yesterday in which-"

Erin looked up as her Poketch turned off and she felt fingers graze her arm. Paul frowned back down at her. "You really should try to take you mind off of that. You've been moping around all day."

She couldn't help but to glare back at him. "How am I supposed to not mope? I am directly responsible for the deaths of a ton of people!" She shot him a venomous glance.

Paul sighed and settled down next to her on the blanket she had set down in the middle of their camp. "I know, but you also saved twenty lives that would have been lost if you hadn't done anything. Isn't that enough? You're a hero, Erin! Stop blaming yourself!"

Erin groaned. "God, you're impossible. Don't you care about people at all?"

A hint of red came to Paul's cheeks as he turned away from Erin. "That's why I'm asking," he murmured, almost too low for Erin to make out.

Jolted from her self-hate briefly, Erin frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

The bushes on the edge of the campsite rustled, and Erin and Paul turned towards the noise. Erin's eyes widened as Korrina emerged from the bushes, followed by Lucario. "Korrina," she whispered softly.

The Shalour Gym Leader looked horrible. Her blond hair was down and tangled, looking like it hadn't been brushed for days. Red bags hung under her eyes, which were empty. Her miniskirt was still beat up from the fall on the mountain. "Hey guys."

Erin's breath caught in her throat. "Is Gurkinn..." Her voice trailed off, unable to complete her sentence.

A silent nod told her the answer.

The clearing was deathly silent until Korrina burst into tears. Running forwards, she embraced Erin and sobbed into her shoulder for a long time. Erin tried to comfort her as Paul looked on awkwardly. After a while, Korrina had calmed down enough to stammer "Th-this is all m-my fault."

Erin shook her head. "How could it have been your fault? There was nothing you could have done."

Shaking her head, Korrina reached into her pocket and drew a large stone. It was rough, a deep amber colored gem not yet cut. A glistening double helix symbol was visible in the center.

Erin stared at the stone as memories of the anime came rushing back to her. "Lucarionite?" she whispered.

Korrina closed her eyes and nodded. "It was a test the whole time. If I h-had just waited, waited until I was ready, this would never have happened. Now, he's dead, and I'm never going to be a good enough trained to follow him!" By the end, she was yelling, venting her frustration for the world to hear. Erin tried to come up with something to say, anything, but she was left in silence.

"Is this what Gurkinn would have wanted you to be doing now?"

Erin and Korrina looked up to see Paul standing behind Korrina. "N-no, but-"

Erin glared at Paul for his insensitivity, but he continued on anyways. "Look, I'm sorry for your loss, but your Grandfather came here in the first place so you could show him that you and Lucario were strong. He wanted you to be able to master Mega Evolution and to take his place someday."

Korrina looked down at the mega stone on the ground in front of him. "I can't. We weren't strong enough."

Paul walked in front of her and grabbed the Mega stone. Walking over to Lucario, who seemed to be in silent vigil behind them, he handed him the amber stone. Lucario took it with a confused glance. "Then get stronger. There's nothing we can do to help Gurkinn now. The least you can do is to talk to my friend to learn about Aura. It's that or living in the past forever.

Erin frowned and nodded. "He's right. We have to keep moving."

Slowly, Korrina rose on wobbly legs. "Ok, I guess. Let's go. I don't want to stay here anymore."

As they packed up camp, Erin couldn't shake the hollow feeling in her gut. _Paul's right; I can't fix what's done. I need to be stronger. Strong enough to hold up a mountain, strong enough to save lives, and strong enough to beat Cerys._

 _Strong enough to get back home._

 **[A/N] I know, another cliffhanger with Serena. The next chapter will probably take just as long as this one, so don't expect it particularly soon. Otherwise, I hope you guys enjoyed it, remember to review, and Pokefan87 signing out.**


	23. The Ghosts of Darkness Past

Chapter 23 – The Ghosts of Darkness Past

 **[A/N] Hey everyone, I'm back! Thank you for everyone who stuck with me over this summer, you guys are great. Now that I'm home for school, I can try to go back to my weeklyish update schedule.**

 **As for the chapter, it is easily the longest I have ever written, and also the most satisfying. The plot is finally starting to come together a bit more. That's all I have to say, more in the end note.**

 **Responding to reviews:**

 _ **magical fan18**_ **\- I'm sorry you feel that way, but I promise it gets better around chapter nine or ten. I hope you pick it up again sometime**

 _ **Amour Guest –**_ **It already happened with Paul, and it won't happen with Korrina. Don't expect her to tell anyone else until after Shalour City, at least. To your second review, no, I'm not dead, and this is the start of regular updates again.**

 _ **HoldTightAndPretendItsAPlan**_ **\- Thank you! I feel that a truly evil organization wouldn't give up just because a bunch of kids stopped them the first time, so that felt neccessary.**

 **Flashback – Three Days Ago - Saturn's Perspective**

The black van swerved down the winding road into the shady valley below. A cloud of Venomoth rose into the air as it roared past them. It skidded to a halt by a clearing marked by a lake and a waterfall. The front door opened, and a man stepped out.

Saturn sighed as he surveyed the pristine forest. His hair, dyed a startling cobalt blue, stood out among the dark oaks. He wore a white lab coat over a plain grey shirt and slacks. Reaching back into the van, he grabbed a black box from the passenger seat. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the box.

"You're late."

Saturn's breath caught in his throat as he spun around. Behind him, a mysterious cloaked person stood, nearly entirely concealed by shadow. Falling to one knee, he sank into a low bow. "Forgive me."

The person dropped their hood. Cerys' eyes flashed, but she nodded to accept his appology. "It is of little matter. We still have plenty of time to execute our plan." She turned and began to walk away, and Saturn fell in behind her.

Saturn looked down at the black box and frowned. Its top was adorned by three lines struck through. "Is this really necessary? The girl can handle herself? We've checked the algorithms, and haven't we done enough."

Cerys turned back and looked at Saturn with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Are you questioning my motives? The Institute will save this world, and if you tell me I am wrong, you will live out the rest of your life in the high security prison cell you came from. You are a tool, and replacable."

Quickly, Saturn shook his head. "No, ma'am." Kneeling down on the ground, he tore his mind away from the horrors of his time in prison and placed the box on the ground. Flipping the top up revealed a screen and a keyboard, both of which blinked to life as Saturn pushed a button. He typed in a 24 digit passcode, and the computer unlocked to reveal an option screen. He pressed another button, and a small tray in the side of the box slid open. Reaching into it, he grabbed a small necklace and handed it to Cerys.

Cerys nodded and she reached into a fold in her cloak to draw out an Ultra ball. However, when she released the Pokemon inside, the flash was not red or white, but blue. A Zorua appeared on the clearing ground. She knelt down and placed the necklace over Zorua's head. "You know what to do," she murmured, loud enough to be audible to Saturn. The Pokemon nodded and disappeared into the night.

Saturn stared somberly at the receding shadow. "The Syndacate is going to kill a lot of people."

Cerys nodded. "Remember what is at stake. We may loose this battle, but as long as we keep the girls alive, we will win the war."

A massive roar echoed through the valley, and Saturn blinked. When he opened his eyes, Cerys was gone.

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

"Goddamn it!" Ash yelled. Sitting on his bed, he chucked his pillow at the wall.

Clemont stared back at him, shocked. "Ash, calm down! You never curse."

Ash glared at him. "You're telling me that I can't go look for Serena. Clemont, what if something happened to her? I have to find her." He stood up and started to walk towards the door, but Clemont's Aipom arm snaked around him and stopped him from moving.

Clemont sighed. "Ash, I'm worried about Serena too, but we've been looking since yesterday and haven't found her. You have your next round in thirty minutes, you don't have time for this."

Ash struggled for a second then slumped down onto the bed, defeated. "You're right. I'm just worried. What if she's hurt?"

Clemont frowned. "I don't know. We transfered the Pokemon you wanted for you earlier, and they're at reception with Nurse Joy. Let's get them, then head to the stadium. We can look for Serena again after, I promise."

"I guess so."

Ash and Clemont left the room of the Pokemon Center and walked downstairs to the reception desk. Nurse Joy looked up as they aproached. "Ash, your Pokemon for the battle are all registered and healed. Good luck!"

Ash grabbed the Pokeballs and fastened them onto his belt around his waist. The rest of the group was already in the stands at the stadium, so Ash and Clemont walked in the trainer's entrance to the stadium. Clemont left to find the rest of the group, while Ash walked through the tunnel leading into the field as the round two match began.

"On the left, we have Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town in Kanto!"

The croud roared as Ash walked onto the battlefield. He tried to pull of a smile, but he still felt the guilt of not looking for Serena weighing down on him. _I hope she's okay. I need her to be okay._

"And on the right, we have Antoine Fay de Lestrac, hailing from Laverre City here in Kalos!" From the other side of the field, a boy that looked to be around Ash's age walked out onto his side of the pitch. The two of them walked to the center of the battlefield and shook hands before returning to their respective sides. The ref held out his arms. "Now, we will see the field!"

The dirt field currently visible in the center of the stadium sank down into the depths of the stadium, and a pool like field with several platforms rose up to take it's place. Ash stared at the field, feeling glad he had switched out his Pokemon the night before.

"The theme for this round is water! Each contestant will be allowed three Pokemon. Please send out your first Pokemon!"

Antoine smirked. "I'll go first. Bibarel, now." He tossed a pokeball to reveal the beaver-like Pokemon.

Ash narrowed his eyes at his competitor, suddenly feeling incredibly angry. Serena was missing, and this guy thought he could act like a total prick to him? He'd show him. "Buisel, I choose you!" he shouted as the Sea Weasel Pokemon emerged onto the battlefield.

 **Clemont's Perspective – Route 27**

Elle frowned as Clemont settled down next to her. "Is Ash okay?"

Clemont shook his head. "He's acting different. I think that having Serena missing is really getting to him."

"Where could she have gone?"

Clemont shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe she left."

"No, that can't be it," Elle said with absolute certainty, so much so that it surprised Clemont.

"How do you know?" 

"Serena would never do that. I just know."

Clemont thought about it for a second. Serena had started her whole journey just to see Ash, hadn't she? She was always worried during his battles, always there to support him. Just maybe...

His thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as the battle began.

 **Ash's Perspective – Round Two – Ash vs Antoine**

"Battle, begin!"

Ash narrowed his eyes at Antoine and shouted to Buisel. "Let's finish this as fast as possible."

"Bibarrel, aqua jet!"

"Dodge, then aqua jet!"

Bibarrel shot towards Buizel at top speed. Just as he was about to hit, Buizel ducked under the attack and launched an aqua jet directly into the beaver's stomach, sending it flying into the air.

Ash grinned and called "Now, sonic boom!" Buizel's tail glowed white, and he whipped it straight up, sending a pulse of energy into Bibarrel. The Pokemon flew into the wall, knocked out.

"Incredible!" the announcer called. "Bibarrel is down, and Buizel hasn't taken a single hit!"

Ash smirked. _This is for you, Serena._ "Not so cocky now, are you?"

Antoine's eyes were wide. "But how?" He stood for a second, then smiled. "Well, I have a counter for water. Quagsire, go!"

As the blue Pokemon appeared, Ash shook his head. When he was younger, he would have fallen for a trick like water absorb, but not anymore. "That won't work on me. Buizel, ice punch!" Buizel's fist turned to ice as he ran towards the clueless Pokemon. He slammed into Quagsire, who shot backwards into the wall, knocked out.

Antoine stared at his Pokemon with a slack jaw as he recalled him. "Who the hell are you?" he shouted to Ash.

Ash glared at him. "I'm Ash Ketchum, and this battle is over."

Now more than slightly intimidated, Antoine picked up his last Pokeball and threw it. "Dragalge, now." Ash frowned as he saw the seaweed-like Pokemon, which he didn't recognize. He pulled his Pokedex out of his pocket.

DRAGALGE, THE MOCK KELP POKÉMON, AND THE EVOLVED FORM OF SKRELP. DRAGALGE IS THE ONLY POISON/DRAGON TYPE. DRAGALGE LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE DRIFTING KELP WHEN THEY'RE SWIMMING WITH THE CURRENT.

Ash nodded, already coming up with a strategy in his head. "Buizel, aqua jet." Water surrounded Buizel, and he shot towards Dragalge at top speed.

Antoine nodded. "Use toxic!"

 _Just like I thought._ "Ice punch!" Ash yelled. As Buizel's fist glowed white, the aqua jet froze over so that there was a block of ice hurdling towards Dragalge. It slammed through the purple bubbles that the seaweed Pokemon had shot, which shattered harmlessly around it, and into Dragalge, who was knocked backwards.

Antoine groaned out of frusteration. "Use dragon pulse!"

"Counter shield!"

A beam of purple draconic energy collected in Dragalge's mouth and shot towards Buizel. As it did, Buizel landed on a platform and stared to spin on his back while using Hydro Pump. As dragon pusle hit, it was absorbed into the swirling vortex and disappeared harmlessly in the sky. "Now, finish it with hydro pump!" Ash called.

Buizel shot a powerful hydro pump directly at Dragalge, who had no time to react. The blast drove the Pokemon out of the water and slammed it into the stadium wall, an instant knock out.

"Dragalge is unable to battle!" the ref called. "Therefore, Ash of Pallet Town is the victor!"

Before Ash could start to celebrate, however, Buizel started to glow a brilliant white. His entire body began to grow and elongate, filling out. His floatation sacks expanded, and the fins on his arms grew as well. The evolution finished, and Ash embraced Floatzel, his worries temporarily forgotten. "Wow, Floatzel, that was incredible!" After a second, however, his expression darkened again. "Let's go find Serena."

"Wow!" the announcer roared. "In an incredible performance by young Ketchum, his Buizel took down Fey de Lestrac's entire team without taking a single hit! No wonder it evolved afterwards!"

Ash shook Antoine's hand, then strode out of the stadium with Pikachu on his shoulder and Floatzel at his side, bent on finding Serena.

 **Clemont's Perspective – Route 27**

Clemont stared at the battlefield. "Oh my Arceus, Ash just massacred that trainer."

Slowly, Elle said, "I think he might want to find Serena."

Clemont nodded. "I think it might be in our best interests not to keep him waiting."

In hurried agreement, Clemont, Elle, Bonnie, and Gary ran off after Ash.

 **Erin's Perspective – West Kalos Coast**

"Alright, this is it." Paul was leading the group through a sparsely forested section of coastland.

Erin frowned. Riley was an aura guardian from Sinnoh, right? She honestly just didn't know that much about him.

Ralts shrunk down on her shoulder. _"I don't like this. I can feel Korrina getting more upset_ _as we get closer. Can she handle this?"_

Erin frowned and sneaked a glance backwards over her shoulder. Korrina and Lucario were dejectedly walking behind the duo, just like they had been doing for the past day and a half. _"I don't know. Can't you do the thing where you take some of her emotions?"_

 _"No,"_ Ralts shook her head. _"I can only do it with you because of our bond. The only person who could help her is Riley or maybe Lucario."_

 _"_ _Oh. Here, I'll go talk to her."_ Erin paused for a second to allow Korrina to catch up to her. "Hey, are you okay?"

Korrina shrugged. "I guess so."

Erin bit the bottom of her lip, knowing that there wasn't much she could do. "Riley can help you and Lucario, I promise." Korrina didn't respond, but Erin put an arm around her as they walked towards a tiny wooden cottage at the edge of the cliff down to the ocean.

Paul stopped when he got to the door of the cottage. He knocked twice, then crossed his arms while waiting for someone to answer. The door creaked open, and a man with dark blue robes and raven hair stepped through. "Hey Riley," he said.

The man's face lit up when he saw Paul. "Paul, I have seen you in ages!" He embraced Paul, who awkwardly allowed himself to be hugged, before holding him out at arms length. "So what's so bad that requires you to call me of all things? I mean, of all people, I would least expect you-"

Paul's face was dark. "Riley, when was the last time you turned on the news?"

Fifteen minutes later, it was a somber group of four sitting around Riley's table in his kitchen. Riley was reclining in his chair, one hand over his brow, the other on the table. "So all three of you were involved in this?" he asked, eyes straying to Erin's hand in a way that made her uncomfortable.

Paul nodded. "The reason we went to Geosenge town was to get a Mega stone for Korrina's Lucario. None of us ever expected this."

Korrina and Erin sat on either side of Paul in awkward silence. The events in Geosenge Town were still too raw for Erin, and she knew Korrina felt the same. Unconsciously, her other hand came to rest on her invisible brand, tracing the lines carved on the back of her hand. _Cerys... She must have know we would come here. If she knew why we were in Geosenge, she must have._

 _"_ _Stop,"_ Ralts ordered Erin. _"We have to help Korrina. That isn't going to happen if you wallow in your misery."_

Riley's eyes narrowed. "So you were the cause of the disturbance I felt."

Paul's eyes flashed. "Look, we need your help. Korrina's just lost her grandfather, and she needs help controlling the power that comes with Mega Evolution. Can you help, or should we leave?" Subtly, Erin could feel his hand creep down to Pidgeot's pokeball, and she shifted so her hip touched his.

Riley's eyes were ice as he stared at Erin, but a slight grin crossed his face. "You've changed since I saw you last, Paul. Let's hope for all of our benefits that its for the best."

Erin decided to speak up. "So that's a yes?"

As Riley focused on her, his gaze turned outright hostile. "I will train the girl. You will leave by dawn." His eyes had a blue tint to them, and Erin shrank back from his gaze.

Paul frowned. "But-"

Riley's eyes flashed. "There has been an Absol following me ever since I left you, Paul. It found me a month and a half ago, the day of the attack on a bus on Route Three. An attack I know you were present for."

 _Paul was there when the bus was attacked?_ Erin shot Paul a glance of absolute shock, one that he didn't return.

Riley was still talking. "Death and destruction follow the two of you around. I will not let the two of you bring it to my home."

Paul was still sitting with a slack expression when Erin grabbed his hand to pull him away from the table. Riley continued to stare holes into her as she pulled Paul away from the table and back out the way they came from.

Erin marched Paul around the side of the house. Letting go of his hand, she shoved him into the side of the house. "Ralts, hold his body to the wall with Psychic."

Forcibly, Ralts' eyes glowed blue, and Paul was slammed into the side of the house. His gaze was wild with confusion. "What the hell is this for?"

Erin hadn't realized how furious she was with him until he said that. "You lied to me."

Now Paul looked confused. "What?"

She took a step closer to him, so they were barely a foot apart. "You told me you were following Ash. You told me you didn't know anything. What do you know about me, and why did you lie?"

Paul's eyes widened. "That wasn't a lie. I don't know anything, and following you led me straight to Ash, so that wasn't entirely a lie."

Erin glared at him, close enough to feel his body heat. She wanted so badly to believe him, to believe that her friendship with him was real. "You have ten seconds to start telling me everything you know, or I'll walk away and leave you here like this."

 _Please don't let me walk away._

Paul's eyes were wild with fear. "Please, I'll tell you. I didn't know anything about you not being from, you know, this world, I swear. I didn't follow you by choice until after we met."

"Explain. Now."

Paul shook his head. "You know how I woke up with only my Pokemon, right? Well, I was living in Canaclave City with Riley in Sinnoh when a mysterious cloaked woman came up to me."

Erin's breath caught in her throat. "Cerys."

Paul nodded. "She used hidden power on me with that... that shadow she has. Showed me my mark. She handed me a yellow bag, a Pokemon egg, and a list of coordinates. She told me I had to place things in Kalos."

Erin frowned at him. "And you did it?"

Paul, who had seemed to relax a bit, shook his head. "I said no, and when I did there was a massive roar. After that, the shadow must have used hypnosis on me, because next thing I know I'm on Pidgeot hovering over the wreckage of a bus. You and Serena were running away, and you had the bag, so I followed to see if I could figure out what had happened. It just happened that you led me straight to Ash. I never would have thought you would have been anything like you are."

Internally, Erin let out a sigh of relief. _He wasn't working for them. Thank Arceus._ "So why did you follow?"

Paul sighed. "At first, it was because I thought you knew things about me. I wanted to know why I was where I was, who I am... But now, it- I don't know." He looked down at his glowing body. "Can you let me go?"

"Oh, right." Erin nodded to Ralts, and the blue glow around Paul faded. Released, he fell forwards directly into Erin. She awkwardly caught him, acutely aware of how close he was. "Uh," she said with a blush.

"Yeah." Paul pulled himself into an upright possition, using Erin for balance.

"Should we-" Erin motioned back towards where they had left their stuff outside.

Paul blushed as they sprang apart. "Yeah. I mean, I- uh, sorry. Let's set up camp back over by the cliff."

As they set up camp, Erin's head was in uproar. _That was nothing. Absolutely nothing at all, right? Paul is just a friend. "_ _What was that?"_ she asked Ralts.

The small green and white Pokemon rolled her eyes. _"Don't ask me. I don't pretend to understand human courting rituals."_

The comment caught Erin so off guard she forgot to respond mentally. "RALTS! It's not like that!"

Paul looked over confusedly. "What?"

Hurriedly, Erin said "Nothing. Literally nothing. I was just wondering... How does Cerys do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. She knew where and when I would appear. She placed a Druddigon egg in a seemingly random part of the woods exactly where I fell. She met me at the Battle Chateau and told me I would meet her again soon. Last time I met her, she stopped time and destroyed a mountain. Who the hell is she, and what is the Dialga Institute?"

Paul frowned. "I don't know."

Erin sighed and slumped to the ground. "That's just the problem though, isn't it? Neither do I."

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

Serena woke up to the sound of sirens.

POLICE PRESENCE DETECTED NEAR SECTOR 3B. GRUNT DIVISIONS 13, 14, AND 15, PLEASE REPORT TO NEUTRALIZE THREAT.

Groggily, she sat up, not immediately aware of her surroundings. _Where am I?_ Slowly, she began to take everything in. She was in a tiny room- a box, almost. There was no furniture, no furnishings, nothing. All that she could see was a heavy set blast door set into one wall, with a tiny slit for ventilation. She was trapped.

 _Fennekin. Pachirisu. I'm never going to see them again._

Serena could feel a sob rising up in her throat. The events of the last twenty four hours were just two more. She was captured with no way out; trapped away from her friends. What could she do? What could she ever do?

 _This entire journey... I've just been following_ _Ash. I'm a fool to think I could possibly fight my own battles._ _Why should I be able to start now?_

Suddenly, she felt the cold touch of metal pressing against her chest. She had been changed into a grey jumpsuit, obviously designed for prisoners. However, for whatever reason, she had been allowed to keep her locket. Gingerly, she reached underneath the jumpsuit and pulled the locket out. She clicked the latch and opened the top of the locket and looked at the picture inside.

Erin looked so happy, standing between her friends. Ever since the start of her journey, Erin had always been getting stronger, following goals, pushing everyone else. Serena just... was. Erin was everything she wished she could be. Strong enough to fight alone, strong enough to follow her goals.

Serena was bordering on desperation when it hit her. _I need to get stronger. I have to be strong enough to get out of her, strong enough to protect my friends._

 _Strong enough to tell Ash how I feel._

Thoughts of desperation gone, or at least pushed down for the time being, she got to her feet and started to look around more seriously for a way out. Besides the locket, there was nothing even remotely useful on her person. On closer inspection of the room, she found a tiny security camera lodged in an upper corner of the room, out of her reach.

As she tried to search for a way to get at the camera, a noise from the door caused her to spin around. As she watched, tiny sparks of electricity started to come from the edges of the door. Serena backed up as the smell of fried circuitry filled the small cell and smoke came from the door. The door slowly swung outwards, revealing a floating orange Pokemon made of plasma.

Serena's eyes widened. "You again!" She tried to run past the Pokemon, but it stopped her at the doorway. With one ephemeral arm, it beckoned for her to follow, then began to float away down the outside hallway. Uncertainly, she stood in the doorway, then made a split second decision to follow after the mysterious Pokemon.

Exiting her cell, Serena found that she was in the middle of a long corridor of seemingly identical prison cells. Dark grey doors lined the red lit hallway as far as she could see in either direction. Her savior was quickly disappearing down the hallway, so she started to run after him for what seemed like an incredibly long time. It disappeared down a side hallway, then another, then down a flight of stairs, and Serena kept following it, unsure of where she was being led. Finally, it ducked into a room, and she followed it in.

The room was dark and unfurnished, lit only by a dim red backlight. A single table was set up in the center of the room. On it was an orange box that looked strangely like a pokedex. Serena steped forwards and picked it up. It was for the most part boxlike, with the exception of a pointed tip. A small power button was placed in the bottom right corner. Cautiously, Serena pushed down on the button, then dropped it as it buzzed to life.

Electricity shot out of either side of the odd device, and the screen burst into life with the face of the Pokemon Serena had been following. _"_ _Nice to meet you, pal,"_ it said in a mechanical voice, _"Gentle on the goods, okay?"_

Serena stared at the Pokedex for a second with a mix of confusion and fear. Did it just... talk to her? "I'm sorry," she said hesitantly, "What did you say you were again?"

The face on the Pokedex screen grinned before showing a picture of the Pokemon Serena had seen earlier. _"Rotom, the Badass Pokemon. Rotoms are known to lure their prey into compounds of evil organizations. After doing so, they kill the victim with 10,000 volts of electricity before_ _slowly consuming-"_

Serena covered her face and screamed "Ew, stop it! Why are you helping me?"

Rotom grinned devilishly and winked. _"That's for me to know and you to find out! Now, come along and we'll get your pretty little face out of here."_

"Why, you little..."

Serena made a lunge for Rotom, who ducked out of the way. The Pokedex shook. " _Why, now that won't do. I am trying to bring you back to Fennekin, so I would follow me if you want to see your precious Pokemon again."_

Serena was fuming, but she recognized the truth in Rotom's words. "Fine, take me out of here."

Rotom led her back out of the room and led her through a warren of corridors and stairwells to the point where Serena was completely and utterly lost. Twice, they passed a grunt standing guard, but a quick thunder wave from Rotom was more than enough to knock the men out before they could call for backup. Finally, they came to a second room that appeared to be a locker room of some sort. The duo ducked inside and Rotom locked the door.

Serena surveyed the room, but all that she saw were rows of clothing and what seemed to be weapons and gear on the wall. "Where's Fennekin?" she asked.

Rotom rolled its eyes. _"_ _Sorry to tell you, missie, but she's not here. You've spent_ _too much time walking around in prison clothes already."_

Serena's brow wrinkled. "What do you mean?"

Rotom buzzed around the room until he picked a uniform off the wall with a plasma arm and threw it to Serena. _"_ _There. Woman's adult small. Put it on."_

Serena distastefully held the uniform out in front of her. It was tiny, and looked incredibly tight. "This would make me look like a psychopathic prostitute."

Rotom spun around in a circle. _"That's the point, hon. So does every other woman in this facility. Change before anyone realizes we're here."_

"But they didn't give me any underwear."

 _"I'm a genderless Pokemon who's also_ _a ball of plasma in a hunk of metal. Am I supposed to care?"_

With a groan, Serena changed as fast as she possibly could. The uniform was surprisingly stretchy, but it still clung to her frame like wet glue. "This is the single sluttiest outfit I have ever worn in my life, and I'm sixteen," she muttered.

 _"_ _Slutty enough for Ash to notice you?"_

Not bothering to answer, Serena spun around and kicked Rotom as hard as she could. The Pokemon flew backwards into a locker and slammed into it painfully. "I'm going to find Fennekin and Pachirisu." She stormed out of the room, raging mad. _Why does the Pokemon who saved me have to be a doucheba_ _g?_

 _"Ow..."_

After extracting itself from the wall, Rotom led Serena down two more hallways. As she figured out, since Rotom was part Ghost type, it had the ability to make itself entirely invisible. As a result, whenever another grunt passed, they didn't give her a second glance. Aside from the extreme discomfort she felt from wearing the uniform, Serena was shocked at how easy it was to pass as unseen through the halls. Finally, she came to a door labeled "Prisoner's Belongings" with a guard outside of it.

"Code?" the woman asked. She wore an even tighter uniform than Serena did, making it look like her entire body had been painted black in an extremely revealing manner.

"Um," Serena fumbled, distracted and unsure of herself. Code? She didn't have a code! What was she supposed to do?

 _"7C2185,"_ Rotom whispered in her ear.

"7C2185."

The guard typed a number into a keypad, then gave Serena a nod. "Here's the keycard. Do you want me to leave you alone in there?"

Serena nodded, trying not to show how eager she was to get into the room. "Yeah, I can take over guard duty after you're done," she said, trying to get the woman as far away from the room as possible.

The guard smiled thankfully. "Thanks 7C. Just make sure you make it to the meeting by 12:30, okay." She walked away from the door and handed Serena the keycard.

Serena used the key to open the door, got in, and shut the door behind her. "Did you SEE her uniform?" she gagged.

 _"I like big butts and I cannot lie, you other brothers ca-"_

Ten seconds later, Rotom was painfully removing himself from the second wall in fifteen minutes. _"Not a Sir Mix a Lot fan, I see,"_ it grumbled.

"I'm going to kill you," Serena grumbled as she rooted through a bin filled with bags of belongings. Finally, she found one labeled "Serena Yvonne," which she pulled out and put on a nearby table. Rooting through it, she pulled out her clothes, her purse, and finally her Pokemon belt, which she strapped around her waist. Grabbing both Pokeballs, she tried to release them, but only Fennekin appeared when she did so. _Where's Pachirisu?_

The fox Pokemon confusedly looked around, then jumped into Serena's arms with a joyful "Fen!"

She smiled as she hugged Fennekin. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried," she whispered. Letting her down and returning her, she frowned as she looked around. She grabbed a black backpack, then turned to leave. "Come on, Rotom, we have to go find Pachirisu."

Rotom shook itself in midair. _"_ _Not yet."_ A clock flashed across its screen, reading 12:25. _"We have a meeting to attend."_

 **Team Rocket's Perspective – Lysandre Labs**

"So," Lysandre said calmly, leaning back on his somber orange couch, "I assume that Giovanni understands the nature of our larger organization."

Team Rocket awkwardly sat crammed on a couch in front of the intimidating man. "Yes sir!" they exclaimed.

"And he accepts the deal that will make your organization a subsidary of my boss's?"

Rather than answering, James slid a folder across the table. Lysandre rifled through it and nodded.

"Perfect. Tomorrow, the Syndacate is about to launch the first stage of their plan. You will help us protect the world from them."

"But sir," Jessie protested, "Aren't are goals the same as theirs?"

Lysandre shook his head. "There's no way we can benefit from their plan if they destroy us all, is there?"

Team Rocket had no answer to that.

 **[A/N] Boy, do I love this one. Let's take this section by section.**

 **First off, new evil characters and foreshadowing at the beginning and the end. All of it will make sense in two chapters.**

 **Second, Buizel was fantastic in Sinnoh, and only got better over time. Also, when Ash is angry and determined, he's a brilliantly ruthless battler. If you haven't noticed yet, I basically just started with him at Sinnoh level battle intelligence, and he only gets better from there. He deserves a good curbstomp battle every now and then. His opponent is also named after an asshole I despise IRL, so good riddance.**

 **Third, throwback to chapters one and two. Draw your own conclusions on Erin and Paul.**

 **Fourth, Serena, if you haven't figured it out yet, will never do contests in this story, for reasons that will be seen during the summer camp arc. Elle replaces her there. This scene, therefore, is essentially the same character development that happened at the end of Serena's first showcase. She'll act similarly to the episodes after XY60.**

 **Also, Rotom Dex is a sadistic douchebag. Good thing Serena's going to be kicking him a lot.**

 **That's all I got. Read, review, check out Generation II when it updates later this week, and peace. Pokefan87, signing out.**


	24. Sunset of the Chosen's Dawn

Chapter 24 – The Sunset of the Chosen's Dawn 

**[A/N] You thought a 5000 word chapter was long enough? 6000 word chapter, I choose you!**

 **Responding to reviews:**

 _ **Pikamew1288 –**_ **I honestly thought that Raikou was an illusion the whole time. I can go back and change that. I'm also glad you like Rotom so much. He's a ton of fun to write.**

 _ **Amour Guest –**_ **Thank you!**

 _ **opalander –**_ **Thanks!**

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

Serena cautiously slipped into the back of the main chamber of the Syndicate base.

Inside, the cages were all still visible. So was the strange contraption in the middle, with the black stone in the center. A sea of grunts filled the black room corner to corner, filling Serena with trepidation. Hesitantly, she took a step backwards.

Rotom snickered in her ear. _"_ _Oh, NOW you get cold feet? Bit too late for that. You step out of this room, you attract Miss All-High-and-Mighty's attention up there."_

Serena's eyes flew upwards until she saw the white haired Hunter stride out onto a catwalk overlooking the massive gathering. "J," she muttered under her breath.

 _"The worst and only."_

The entire gathering burst into a roar of applause as the striking figure walked up to a singular microphone. J put up a hand, and the entire chamber fell deathly silent.

"MEMBERS OF THE SYNDICATE, THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME!"

Serena and Rotom exchanged wary glances.

"IN TWENTY FOUR HOURS, WE WILL EXECUTE THE ALPHA STAGE OUR PLAN!

As Serena watched, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a grunt moving towards her. With out moving, she whispered to Rotom, _"_ Do you see that grunt?"

"TOO LONG HAVE WE, THE LOWER CLASS, BEEN DENIED BY THE POKEMON LEAGUE! NO LONGER."

Rotom materialized long enough to roll its eyes. _"I don't know, princess, but I'd guess he isn't coming to give you any presents."_

"WE HAVE HARNESSED THE POWER NECESSARY FOR THE AWAKENING."

"I hate you so much." Serena narrowed her eyes at J. "What about her?"

"ALL GRUNTS HAVE TWENTY FOUR HOUR TO EVACUATE TO ANY OF OUR NEARBY BASES."

 _"Forget her. We need to get out of here."_

"AND WHEN THE POKEMON LEAGUE FALLS, THE POWER OF THE WORLD WILL BE IN THE SYNDICATE'S HANDS."

Ripping her eyes away from J, Erin shuddered as she and Rotom slowly crept out of the room. _How does the Syndicate have enough power to destroy the entire Pokemon league?_ The duo backtracked through the labyrinth of corridors and stairs they had come from, Rotom leading then to an exit he said was on his internal GPS of the facility. Serena, however, was increasingly concerned about the grunt tailing them. "Rotom, do something about him already."

Rotom giggled, and briefly vanished. He reappeared in a blaze of crackling electricity over the grunt's head. Spinning around it, he made all of the grunt's hair stand straight up before floating back over to Serena. _"I did something!"_ he exclaimed happily.

Serena sighed and walked towards the grunt. _That useless piece of scrap metal, I swear to Arceus._ She grabbed Fennekin's pokeball and threw it, letting the fox Pokemon out in front of the grunt. "You have five seconds to tell me who you are and why you're following me, or I'll have Fennekin blast you," she said to the grunt, who put up his hands.

"Don't," the grunt said. "Please, I swear I'll tell you everything, but not here." He gestured to a side door in the corridor. Stepping past Fennekin, who growled at him threateningly, he disappeared through the shadily lit door. Hesitantly, Serena followed him through.

Inside, there was a table that the grunt sat down at. Serena stood in the doorway, blocking his exit. "Alright, now who are you?"

Much to her surprise, the grunt grabbed his uniform. Seemingly without effort, he ripped the black spandex off of his body, revealing a dark trench coat. He flexed his shoulders and groaned, as if a weight had been lifted from him. "You know, I had just about perfected that disguise. Shame it has to go. Arceus knows it took me long enough to infiltrate this damn organization."

Rotom beeped, and Serena turned to look at the Pokemon. _"I recognize you."_ Neither the man or Serena showed any flashes of recognition. Rotom dramatically heaved a sigh. _"_ _This is going to be_ _complicated, isn't it. You're Looker, of the international police."_

"The international police?"

Both Serena and Rotom turned to look at Looker, Rotom barely holding back a smirk. Looker, on the other hand, looked completely and utterly lost. "I'm sorry," he said in a level tone, "But would you care to tell me what the fuck you're talking about?"

Before Rotom could answer, a flash of recognition passed through Serena. "Wait a second, I remember you," she said, looking at Looker.

"Pray tell."

Serena nodded, more certain in her recollections. "There was an article in the Lumiose Times on you. It said that you helped to dismantle Team Galactic and Team Plasma. Apparently, you're a high ranking member of the international police."

 _Of course, the real reason I read that article was because Ash was mentioned in it._

Looker frowned. "I have no recollection of either of those activities. Why would a newspaper article be written about a member of a top secret police organization."

Rotom locked eyes (or screens) with Looker. _"Sorry to break it to you, pretty boy,"_ it deadpanned, _"But according to the rest of the world, you've been dead for months."_

Looker was thoughtful. "But who would want me to be presumed dead, but alive with no memories?" Suddenly, recognition crossed his face. "Wait, I know, but here is not the time or place. The meeting will be over shortly. We must exit the facility before then."

Serena frowned. "But Pachirisu is still missing..."

Rotom shook its body. _"_ _Trust me, you're better off without that thing. Catch a real electric type this time."_

Looker shook his head as well. "We don't have time. If we don't get out before J notices we're gone, we're all as good as dead."

Serena bit her lip, but nodded in acknowledgment. _I'm sorry, Pachirisu. I swear I'll find you, someday._ "Alright, let's go."

Looker quickly put his disguise back on. Serena returned Fennekin, then the trio exited the room. Rotom and Looker led her through the base, until they came to a small door at the end of a hallway.

The door was locked.

Looker looked at Rotom. "Do something. Now." Rotom disappeared into a small keypad next to the door, and the entire door frame began to crackle with electricity.

It seemed like they were going to get out, when a low voice started to laugh behind them. Serena spun around to see J standing behind them, with Latios in front of her. "You thought you could get away? Latios, Psychic."

The dragon's eyes glowed a brilliant white, and Serena and Looker rose up into the air, suspended by invisible psychic energy. The keypad exploded, its circuits obviously fried, and Rotom burst out being pulled by the psychic.

Serena glared at the evil white haired woman. "Why are you doing this? Let us go!"

J sneered at her. "You were listening to my speech. I think you know perfectly well. The Syndicate is going to rule this world, and a little whore like you isn't going to stop us."

Serena's eyes flared wildly, and she struggled against the psychic to no avail. "You won't get away with this!"

J smirked. "Oh, sorry to break it to you, but I already have."

Suddenly, a purplish-black ball of energy flew into Latios' side, breaking the dragon's concentration. The psychic broke, and Serena slumped to the floor. She looked up, and grinned as she saw the Pokemon who had fired it. "Pachirisu!" she called, as the small Ele-squirrel dashed over to her. With a groan, she got up and released Fennekin, who growled threateningly at J. Rotom also floated over to hover in front of Serena.

J, on the other hand, was fuming, and so was the furious Legendary Pokemon hovering in front of her. "Psychic that little rat," she snarled. Latios lashed out a ripping tendril of psychic energy, directed only at Pachirisu but strong enough that everyone else could feel it strike the tiny Pokemon.

And nothing happened.

Everyone stared at the small Pokemon, who hadn't appeared to move, somewhat shocked. Rotom, on the other hand, sighed. _"_ _Why does everyone I meet have to be so clueless?"_

Serena's eyes were wide. _How did Pachirisu not feel anything from so much power? He should be dead right now._

J, on the other hand, was now even angrier than she had been before. "That's impossible. Forget that little thing, Luster Purge the girl."

"Get out of the way!" Serena screamed, diving just as the Latios sent an insanely powerful blast of energy straight past her head. Slamming into the door, it took an entire section of the wall away, ripping it out of the rest of the stadium.

"FUCK!" J screamed as Serena, Looker, and her Pokemon all sprinted out of the hole the mercenary had created.

Serena ran, ran as fast as she ever had before. She could barely comprehend Looker's shouted directions into the forest, but she followed him in with her Pokemon keeping pace. Another massive Luster Purge blasted through the forest, ripping trees away from their roots. Looker gestured for Serena to follow him as he dove through a thicket into the center of a rocky outcropping.

As they huddled inside of the rocks, J, Latios, and J's Salamance as roared past. For what seemed like eternity but was actually only fifteen minutes, they searched for Serena. At one point, she heard J scream in rage again, but eventually they stopped looking.

Serena breathed out a sigh of relief. "I think they're gone," she whispered.

Looker nodded. "We should move."

Before they could, however, Rotom materialized in front of them. _"_ _Not yet. Serena, do you know what that is?"_ he asked, a plasma tendril extended towards Pachirisu.

Serena narrowed her eyes at the Pokemon. "Yeah, it's Pachirisu. I think J drove some of your circuits the wrong way."

Rotom sighed. Drifting down to where Serena sat, he said, _"Ma'am, I going to need you to stick your hands out and grab me."_ Serena did so. _"No, not like that._ _A little lower, and squeeze."_

Rather than listening to him, Serena slammed Rotom's orange dex frame into the rock she was sitting on. _Little perverted genderless piece of shit._ "Don't waste my time. The longer we stay here, the more likely J finds us."

 _"_ _Will do."_ The Pokedex frame went dark as Rotom exited it, emerging as its true plasma form. It floated over to Pachirisu, who backed away apprehensively.

Serena frowned in alarm. "What are you doing? Don't hurt him!"

 _"I'm not going to hurt him,"_ Rotom snarled. _"I'm going to expose him."_ As Serena and Looker watched, it disappeared into Pachirisu's neck, which started to spark and smoke wildly. Pachirisu's form started to flicker, then disappeared altogether, revealing a Pokemon that was most certainly not a Pachirisu.

Rotom slowly floated back over to its dex and reentered it as everyone else gawked at the small black Pokemon that had been a Pachirisu. He was fox-like, with soft black fur with tinges of red. Curiously, Fennekin padded up to him, but when he turned tail she scampered over to sit on Serena's lap.

Serena stared at the black Pokemon with a mixture of fear, shock, and revulsion. _Is that thing really my Pokemon?_ Unsure of whether it was or not, she picked his Pokeball off of her belt and pressed the button. Sure enough, the black fox disappeared in a flash of red light. _Nope, that's mine._ She let him out again, then turned to Rotom, who was outright glaring at the fox. "Rotom, what is it?"

A picture of the Fox appeared on Rotom's screen. _"_ _Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokemon. Zorua is one of the sleaziest and cruelest Pokemon to deal with, well known for their illusionist abilities to deceive. They are the single least des-"_

Serena groaned. "Enough, I get it." She looked at Zorua, who was hovering at the edge of the outcropping, looking lost. She sighed. _If what Rotom says is true… No, I don't believe that. Zorua is my Pokemon._

 _My Pokemon._

Looker stood up and cleared his throat. "Look, I think we can agree that everything happening right now is bizarre. However, we don't have time to ponder it unless we want to do so from a Syndicate dungeon somewhere. We have to move."

Serena nodded, trying but failing to push the strangeness of her situation to the side of her thoughts. She and Looker started to move towards the front of the stadium. Suddenly, something J had said struck her. "Looker, we have to warn the police that a terrorist organization is going to attack the tournament finals."

Looker didn't answer, but a nod was all he needed to say he was on top of it. Serena frowned. _What if Ash is in the finals?_

 _I need to find Ash._

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

The group of five was sitting around a table outside of the tournament Pokemon Center when they saw Serena.

Ash was the first one to see her. When he did, he stood up in mid sentence, yelled "Serena!" and sprinted towards her without a second thought. She evidently noticed him as well, and ran towards him as well. The two of them collided in a hug on the dusty road in front of the Pokemon Center. "You're okay," Ash whispered into her ear.

Serena smiled at him. A massive blush was painted across her face, and as Ash broke away from her, she said "Hey," in an incredibly weak tone.

Ash stepped back and looked Serena up and down. Her hair was filthy and matted; some combination of dirt, twigs, and… blood. Actually, looking her up and down, she was covered with tiny scratches and wounds, and her clothing was ripped.

 _Her clothing._ She was wearing some sort of spandex jumpsuit that was very… very revealing. Ash's mind whirled, and he had to mentally slap himself to stop it. _She's your friend, and she's hurt. Don't be gross._ Finally, he found his voice. "Wh-what happened to you?"

Serena shook her head. "Not here. We can talk later with everyone." By that point, the rest of the group had caught up to Ash. Elle and Bonnie both embraced Serena, while Clemont and Gary held back.

Ash looked around, realizing there was someone else with Serena. "Looker? What are you doing here?" _Where did he come from? I haven't seen him since we beat Team Plasma._

"Where did you get a Zorua and a Rotom from?" Clemont asked.

Ash looked behind Serena, and sure enough a Zorua was cautiously peering through her legs. _Where did that come from?_ He didn't see the Rotom, however, until after it materialized in front of his face in some weird orange contraption.

Rotom grinned. _"His name shouldn't be Looker, seeing that you're the one doing it. Save it for your room after your girlfr-"_

"Fennekin, Flamethrower." Ash ducked as a beet red Serena ordered the attack, which roasted Rotom where it floated.

 _"_ _Just stating the obvious. And in that jumpsuit, I don't blam-"_

Ash jumped backwards as another blast of flame crashed into Rotom. Serena stalked forwards, glaring at the Pokemon on the ground. "You can leave now," she said, pointing back the way she had come from.

 _"This is cruel and unusual punishment!"_ Rotom disappeared from the ground in front of the group, and Ash heard a small dinging noise come from Serena's backpack.

Serena looked confused. "What just happened?"

Ash looked around and realized that everyone except for him and Serena were laughing hysterically. "I think," Elle made out in between fits of laughter, "that you just caught a Rotom."

Even Ash had to laugh at that.

Shaking himself out of laughter, Ash looked at Serena again. "No, but seriously, what happened?"

Serena looked like she was about to respond, but as she opened her mouth her legs gave out and she collapsed into Looker, who caught her. Everyone clustered around her, but the older man gestured for space. "We need to get her to Nurse Joy. She's been through a lot in the last twenty four hours."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ash watched in concern as Serena's Pokemon were returned and Nurse Joy ran out of the center with a stretcher. _What happened to her while she was gone? How did she get like that?_ He and the group followed Nurse Joy into the center, and he tried to follow her upstairs but was stopped.

Nurse Joy frowned. "You can't come up. We need to give her immediate medical care, and it will be at least an hour until anyone can see her."

"But-" Ash protested, only to stop after Clemont put a hand on his shoulder. 

The inventor sighed. "Ash, we're all worried about her, but I'm positive Nurse Joy will ensure that she's fine."

Nurse Joy smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine tomorrow. Ash, you have your semifinal match in a half hour. Shouldn't you be at the stadium?"

Ash's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, you're right." Taking one last look at Serena, he hesitantly turned heel and started to walk to the stadium, followed by Clemont, Gary, and Bonnie.

Gary, for once, seemed like he was at a loss of snarky things to say. "She seems different."

Bonnie sniffled and grabbed Clemont's hand. "Is Serena going to be okay, big brother?"

Clemont nodded and smiled worriedly at her. "Don't worry. Elle and Nurse Joy will take good care of her. I'm sure that she'll be fine by tomorrow."

Ash frowned, staying silent. _Gary is right, she does seem different. Not in a bad way, though. She seems… stronger, almost. I need to ask her about it later._ Pushing the thought aside, he looked over and smirked at Gary. "Hey, Gare-bear, you better win your semifinals, cause I'm going to be in the finals before you even realize it."

A nerve seemed to pop on Gary forehead. "Ashy-boy, I THOUGHT we agreed to not use those nicknames."

"Oh yeah, Garet-"

"SHUT UP!"

Serena's plight momentarily pushed aside, Bonnie and Clemont both laughed. Clemont pushed his glasses up his nose as the group walked into the stadium. "Well, I look forwards to watching both of your battles."

Gary nodded. "I'm up first, so smell ya later, Ashley," he smirked evilly.

Ash's jaw dropped as Gary walked away and Clemont and Bonnie collapsed in laughter. "How do you know about that?" he yelled after Gary.

"Blame Misty!"

Ash sighed. Clemont raised an eyebrow at him, and Ash grumbled, "Don't we have a match to watch?"

By the time they had gotten to their seats, the match was about to begin.

 **Gary's Perspective – Route 27**

"This will be a 1v1 Pokemon battle. Trainers, send out your Pokemon."

The Kalosian trainer facing him smirked. "You'll never be able to beat my ace! Gyarados, go!" The gigantic Pokemon crashed onto the battlefield.

Gary smirked. "Go Electivire!"

The following battle contains scenes of carnage too graphic to post under a T rating. Suffice to say, Electivire won. By a lot.

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

"She's regaining consciousness."

Serena's eyes fluttered open to see Elle and Nurse Joy standing over her. She was lying down on some sort of stretcher in a white room. _Where am I?_

Elle looked at her with a relieved smile. "Good, you're awake."

Serena frowned. She propped herself up, only to have dizziness force her back down. "What happened?"

"When we found you, you fainted. You have a gash in the back of your head, as well as several major cuts and bruises. Nurse Joy said you were running on adrenaline."

She nodded, before looking around the room. "Where did everyone else go?"

Elle sighed. "Ash and them all went to watch Ash and Gary's matches. That man you were with said something about going to talk to Officer Jenny."

Serena's eyes widened. "He went without me?"

Elle frowned. "Why do you need to go to the Police Station?"

"This tournament is in danger."

The room was silent after that, the implications of what Serena had said still processing with Elle. Finally, Elle said, "I think you need to tell me everything that happened while you were gone."

Five minutes later, Elle looked deeply disturbed. "Aren't they the same people who attacked us back on Route 8?"

Serena nodded. "I need to go."

"Go where?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I want to train, and I can't do that in bed."

Elle's eyes widened. "Since when do you, Serena Yvonne, want to train for anything?"

Serena's eyes flashed. "Since now."

Elle was about to protest, but right as she was about to, the TV in the corner of the room turned on. "And now, all eyes on Route 27 turn towards the Semifinal match between Ash Ketchum and Astrid Levi. Who will win in this exciting match up of two Ace level trainers?"

Serena smiled. "On second thought, let's watch Ash win first."

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

"The Semifinal match between the two trainers will be a one on one Pokemon battle. The theme for this round will be Powerhouses. The trainer who wins this battle will advance to the semifinal battle against Gary Oak of Pallet Town. Trainers, please send out your Pokemon."

Ash and Astrid walked to the center of the battlefield to shake hands. Astrid had long blond hair and a strange earring with a strange helix inside. Both trainers returned to their respective sides, before Astrid called out "I'll go first. Absol, go!"

In a flash, the black and white Pokemon appeared on the battlefield. Ash grinned. _I've got the perfect counter here._ "Go, Sceptile!" he yelled as the grass-type Pokemon appeared on the field.

"Battle, begin!"

Astrid smirked. "Alright, Absol, use Psycho Cut!" Absol's horn glowed purple, and a blast of energy shot towards Sceptile.

"Alright," Ash yelled. "Get in close. Dodge with Quick Attack then use Leaf Blade!" Sceptile dodged under the Psycho Cut and sped towards Absol with the leaves on his arms glowing green.

"Jump!" Absol sprang into the air. As he did so, however, Sceptile slammed a leaf blade into Absol's underside, sending him flying. "Now, use Megahorn!"

Ash groaned as the super-effective move slammed into Sceptile and sent the lizard flying back towards him. Any doubts he had, however, were magnified by what came next.

Astrid grabbed her strange earring and shouted "This is a good battle! You're a pretty strong opponent, so I'm taking things to the next level! Absol, Mega Evolve!"

As she shouted the command, light erupted from her earring and a matching stone around Absol's neck that Ash hadn't noticed. Beams of light from each stone connected between trainer and Pokemon, turning white as they did so. Meanwhile, Ash gasped as Absol began to change. He grew larger, luxurious hair expanding and shifting. Most noticeable, however, were the pair of wings that sprouted from the Pokemon's back. The transformation finished with the same Helix symbol as Astrid's necklace flashing in front of Absol.

"Folks, this is astounding! Astrid's Absol appears to have temporarily evolved through the newly discovered phenomena called Mega Evolution. How can Ash respond to this new threat?"

Ash was momentarily shocked, but regained his composure after a second. "Sceptile, don't panic. Remember that we took down a Darkrai together! You can do this!"

"Dark Pulse!"

"Leaf Storm!"

The two Pokemon both shot off their attacks. They collided in the middle of the battlefield, neither one gaining an upper hand until the power gathered caused an explosion that drove both Pokemon backwards. Ash shielded his face with his hands as dirt and debris flew towards the crowds, only to be stopped by psychic walls hastily thrown up by tournament officials. On the field, however, the battle raged on.

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "Shadow claw from the air!" she yelled. Using his wings to propel himself, Absol leaped incredibly high into the air. His claws turned a black color as he fell towards Sceptile.

Ash was having none of it. "Sceptile, counter shield with leaf storm then hit Absol with X-scissor!"

As Absol fell, a wall of leaves rose around him, propelled by Sceptile's tail. As shadow claw and X-scissor collided, the leaf storm narrowed from a funnel to a beam, trapping Absol inside and driving him away from Sceptile. The disaster Pokemon was slammed into the ground on the far side of the battlefield.

Astrid stared at her Pokemon as he rose to his feet in determination. "Are you okay?" Absol gave a gruff nod. "Awesome, then use mega horn!"

"Combat with Leaf Blade!"

The Pokemon collided in the center of the field, furiously trading blows. It quickly became apparent that Sceptile was far faster and more graceful. Absol was struggling to block his blows as he danced around the Mega Evolved Pokemon. Finally, a Leaf Blade slammed into Absol's side, driving him back to Astrid.

"Finish it with Leaf Storm." Ash was determined to finish the battle, already having known he had won.

Before Astrid could retaliate, the leaves slammed into her Pokemon, knocking it out for good. In a flash, Absol was back to normal.

"Absol is unable to battle! Therefore, Ash is the winner and will be moving on to the finals against Gary Oak!"

 **Erin's Perspective – Route 27**

DRUDDIGON, THE CAVE POKEMON. THIS DRUDDIGON KNOWS THE FOLLOWING MOVES: CRUNCH, THUNDER FANG, DRAGON RAGE, DRAGON CLAW, DRAGON TAIL.

DEERLING, THE SEASON POKEMON. THIS DEERLING KNOWS THE FOLLOWING MOVES: QUICK ATTACK, SAND ATTACK, RAZOR LEAF, ENERGY BALL.

RALTS, THE EMOTION POKEMON. THIS RALTS KNOWS THE FOLLOWING MOVES: TELEPORT, PROTECT, DISARMING VOICE, PSYCHIC.

Erin smiled. All three of her Pokemon were in front of her. "Now, we're going to be training to get stronger! I have ideas on what each of you should learn to get stronger."

Druddigon roared in excitement, and Erin walked up to her starter and rubbed the top of his head. She could feel his readiness to train. With all of the crazy things that had been happening and whatnot, it had been far to long since she had last trained. Deerling rubbed up against her leg, and Ralts pumped her fist. _"We're all ready! I want to be able to pound Cerys the next time we see her!"_ Deerling and Druddigon nodded their agreement, and so training started.

Erin worked with Druddigon first. As a Dragon type, he had three weaknesses; Dragon, Ice, and Fairy. She could cover Dragon with Dragon, but she had nothing against Fairy or Ice. Because of that, she decided to try to teach him how to use Iron Head.

Deerling, Ralts, and Paul watched from the shade of a large tree as Erin talked to Druddigon. "Remember how you transferred power to your teeth for thunder fang and to your tail for dragon tail?" she asked her starter, who responded with a nod. "Alright, well you're going to do the same thing here, except to your head. After that, charge at that rock." She pointed to a large boulder on the other end of the cliff they were on.

Druddigon visibly focused, and Erin nodded as his skull started to lightly glow. He charged the rock, but when he collided with it, there was barely a dent made in it. He growled, then lumbered back to his starting point to try again. "Keep trying, I'm sure that you'll get it!" she yelled, then turned her focus to Deerling. "Ralts, I need to ask her some questions. Can you translate for me?"

 _"Sure. She wants to know what move she's going to learn."_

"Great." Erin sat down in front of Deerling so she was at eye level with her. Deerling… Deerling had more weaknesses than Erin could count. However, she really wanted to counter her flying type weakness, considering that neither Ralts or Druddigon could do much to them. "How do you create razor leaves?"

Deerling seemed to consider that for a second. _"Well, it's like I have this pool of energy, and I can make it like a leaf if I want to."_

Erin nodded. "All grass type special moves are very concentrated, like a single razor leaf or energy ball. The move that I want you to learn is called Wild Charge, and it's an electric type move."

 _"Ok, so how do I do that?"_

"Well, I think we should start off by trying to create the right energy. Try making a razor leaf." Deerling did that. "Now, you're unconsciously expending the effort of holding it together. Try letting go of the energy as you create it."

When Deerling did so, the razor leaf dissipated into the air.

Erin frowned. "Alright, when the energy breaks up, it disperses. Instead, you want to attach it to the air molecules around you."

Deerling and Ralts both looked incredibly confused. _"What's a molecule?"_

Erin struggled to remember some of the basic physics she had learned before getting transported to Kalos. "Well, everything is made up of little particles called atoms, which make up molecules. This stuff makes up matter, or everything you see and breathe and touch. Matter is essentially energy in its dormant form."

"On the other hand, you're trying to make Electricity. Every atom has protons, neutrons, and electrons. When electrons are knocked off of the atom, it creates electricity. I think that if you attach the energy to the atoms around your body, the displaced electrons should create an electrical charge surrounding you. Try it with one razor leaf first."

Deerling focused as a single razor leaf appeared in front of her again. She made it fall apart, but this time focused the energy onto the molecules. The result was a tiny electrical charge that disappeared slow enough for them to see it. _"Awesome, I did it!"_

Erin smiled at her Pokemon. "That was awesome! Now, try using a leaf attack while doing that with the razor leaves."

Deerling nodded, and started to use leaf attack. She got about five feet, then was enveloped in electricity. It wasn't very powerful, and she had to stop after less than five seconds, but it was still a major accomplishment for a grass type to use an electric type move. _"That was exhausting,"_ Ralts translated for the gasping deer.

Erin grinned. "That was amazing! Don't worry about it, I'm sure that you'll improve."

A shattering sound was heard from across the field as Druddigon slammed into the rock with a full Iron Head. Proud of himself, the dragon stomped over to Erin slightly dazedly and roared as Erin hugged him. "That was amazing, you two."

"Hey, Erin!" Paul called over. At some point, he had gotten up from his log and had made dinner, which was now pipping hot. "Wanna break for dinner? I'm sure that Deerling and Druddigon are both starving."

Erin nodded. "Sure, why not?"

As she, Paul, and her Pokemon dug into steaming bowls of stew, she sighed in contentment. It was so hard, stepping away from the hardships and remembering that she had her friends and Pokemon with her. Even with everything that had happened, she was still happier, still felt more alive than she ever had at home.

"So where are we going after this?" Paul mumbled through a mouthful of food.

Erin thought about it for a second. "Well, summer camp is in three days, but right now we're only about an hour and a half away from Shalour City. When we leave tomorrow morning we could stay at the Center there and explore the city on our own."

Paul frowned. "Summer camp?"

Erin nodded. "Yeah, remember? Professor Sycamore invited us to his summer camp. We're going to meet up with Ash and Serena and them, and it'll be a lot of fun!"

Paul bit his lip, and Erin sighed. "Look, there are three or four to a cabin. I can ask Sycamore to put us separately from Ash, if that's your problem."

Paul shook his head. "No, it's fine. We can go."

Erin snorted. "Not like it was your decision in the first place. Anyways, I'm excited. I'm going to challenge Ash to another battle, and I'm going to win this one!"

Paul smirked at that. "With his Kalos team, he doesn't stand a chance. What does he have? A poorly trainer Fletchinder, a weak Froaky, and his powerhouse Pikachu. Druddigon and Deerling will decimate Fletchinder and Froaky, leaving your entire team for Pikachu."

Erin shrugged. "We haven't seen him in three weeks. Who knows what could have changed?"

"That's why you're training, isn't it?"

She nodded, before frowning. "If Korrina is gone, how can I get my badge?"

Paul made a non-committal gesture. "She'll be ready by the time you are. If not, we'll skip it."

Erin groaned. "I don't want to come back to Shalour and Santalune."

"We have Pidgeot."

"True."

Now that dinner was over, Erin jumped back into training in earnest. She assigned Druddigon and Deerling to continue practicing Iron Head and Wild Charge and turned her focus to Ralts, who was eagerly awaiting her turn. _"What move am I going to learn?"_ she asked.

Erin grinned. Psychic was an incredibly powerful move, and she wanted Ralts to have a fairy type move to match. "You're going to learn dazzling gleam," she said, and Ralts' eyes widened.

 _"Wow, Mom knew that move! Let's do it."_

Erin nodded. "Great. You can differentiate between psychic and fairy powers, right?" Ralts nodded. "How do you do disarming voice?"

Ralts thought about it. _"Well, I collect the power around my mouth and propel it outwards with my voice, I guess."_

"Try it." Ralts sent a disarming voice off of the cliff. It was a weak burst of Fairy energy, and it barely made it past the edge. "Great. Now, try doing that again, but with psychic energy instead of your voice." Ralts sent out more energy, except this time, it was more like a blast that went far out of the cliff before fading out.

 _"Woah, that's really powerful."_

"Yeah, you're really close. Dazzling gleam is that from the entire front of your body. Practice it a bunch, and I'm sure that you'll get it."

Erin oversaw her Pokemon as they practiced their respective moves. After an hour of intense training, all three had mastered their moves. Erin rescanned each one with her Pokedex again to check.

DRUDDIGON, THE CAVE POKEMON. THIS DRUDDIGON KNOWS THE FOLLOWING MOVES: CRUNCH, THUNDER FANG, DRAGON RAGE, DRAGON CLAW, DRAGON TAIL, IRON HEAD.

DEERLING, THE SEASON POKEMON. THIS DEERLING KNOWS THE FOLLOWING MOVES: QUICK ATTACK, SAND ATTACK, RAZOR LEAF, ENERGY BALL, WILD CHARGE.

RALTS, THE EMOTION POKEMON. THIS RALTS KNOWS THE FOLLOWING MOVES: TELEPORT, PROTECT, DAZZLING GLEAM, PSYCHIC.

Sunset found the group standing on the cliff's edge, watching the sunset. Erin was flanked by her Pokemon, with Ralts on her shoulder.

"This sunset is incredible," Paul said. Indeed it was. Gorgeous shades of red, blue, purple, and yellow tinted the orange sky as the massive sun fell bellow the horizon.

"KYEEEAAHH!"

Everyone's head shot upwards to see a massive red and golden bird fly right over head. It had magnificent golden plumage, and a trail of sparkles seemed to follow it.

 _"I don't believe it,"_ Ralts gasped. _"Milord Ho-oh just passed overhead."_

As Ho-oh disappeared into the magnificent fire of the setting sun, Erin felt an ancient presence touch the back of her mind, and she fell to one knee. The legendary Pokemon's words resonated in her mind and filled her with purpose.

 _"_ _Chosen one, your true role is about to unfold. You will understand in time, but when the gear come crashing down, you will be the one to save us all._ _"_

 **[A/N] Continuing the trend of ridiculously long chapters, next chapter will have a full battle between Ash and Gary AND a three v three between Erin and Diantha. It's going to be great (and loooooooooong).**

 **Only three chapters left before Summer Camp! Expect Amour, Elle, and Froaky to all play a big role.**

 **That's all I have. Do you like long chapters? PLEASE REVIEW and tell me what you think so I can improve. Thanks, and Pokefan87 signing out.**


	25. Champions of Evolution

Chapter 25: Champions of Evolution

 **[A/N] School started yesterday for me, so I'm happy I finished this when I did. Considering that, the end of this 6,500 word chapter feels pretty rushed. Hopefully the epic battle makes up for that. I had to push the Ash/Gary battle back, but I think that it's better this way.**

 **A major plot point more or less begins in this chapter, one that I'm sure some people might question. More on that at the bottom. Now, for the reviews.**

 _ **MiraculousInfinityZie –**_ **Great to see your reviews again :) No problems for being busy, I've been busy too. I glad you like everything so much, and thank you! For the Zorua thing, yes, yes she is. There will be explanation (At some point) I promise.**

 _ **Amourshipping Guest –**_ **Thanks!**

 _ **LuigiTSG –**_ **Thank you for sticking with the story. I really appreciate reviews with constructive criticism. Elle will have major character development, but we need to finish the tournament arc first. I have the camp storyline set around her, as well as a few other things. Thank you for the honest review.**

 **EDIT – 2-6-17**

 **THIS CHAPTER HAS UNDERGONE MAJOR REVISIONS. Change notes are in the footnote.**

 **Erin's Perspective – Route 27**

Erin didn't notice Korrina until she and Paul had finished packing up camp.

The blond haired gym leader was hesitantly hanging around the back of the campsite, obviously unsure of herself. Her normal outfit had been traded for a plain blue shirt and black sweatpants, and her hair was down instead of in a ponytail. She could have been an entirely different person were it not for her hair color and eyes, and Erin wouldn't have given her a second look.

As Erin walked towards the girl, a mix of pity and regret swelled within her. _There's nothing else I can do for her. She's Riley's responsibility now._ "Hey," she said softly, "Are you going to be okay?"

Korrina's eyes were dead as she bit her lip and nodded. "I guess so."

Erin could barely look at the gym leader who she considered her friend. _She blames me for Gurkinn's death. I blame me for Gurkinn's death._ "I'm sorry."

Korrina just shrugged, and Erin shook her head and hugged her. They broke apart, and Paul stepped forwards. "Come on Erin, we have to get out of here. I don't want to bother Riley any more than we already have."

Erin and Paul started to walk away, the few possessions they still had on Paul's back and in Erin's purse. Before they made it out of the clearing, though, Erin couldn't take it any longer.

Looking back at Korrina, utterly destroyed by Erin's actions, was an image that would haunt her forever.

Ralts sighed on her shoulder. _"_ _This is our fault."_

 _"I know."_

Ralts squeezed her eyes shut. _"_ _I could have done more. I wasn't fainted, I could have taken him far enough. I could have helped any of those people but I didn't."_

Erin sighed, squaring her shoulders. _"You share this blame just as much as I do. This is why we have to be stronger. We can't let something like this happen again."_

As they walked down the scenic coast, Erin and Ralts reveled in their own misery. Their bond was stronger than ever in their shared regret, a nearly tangible connection. After nearly thirty minutes, Ralts spoke again. _"_ _I feel stronger, you know."_

 _"Oh?"_

Ralts shook her head. _"_ _It is nearly unheard of a Gardevoir or Gallade making a soul bond with a trainer, and it requires years and years of trust and connection. Not only am I a Ralts, but we also bonded the moment we touched._ _I think the connection strengthens both of us._ _"_

Erin parsed her lips. _"So our bond gives you power?"_

Ralts nodded. _"_ _It's been increasing for a month exponentially. I_ _think I'm about to evolve. The next battle I have, I would be very surprised if I don't."_

 _"_ _That's awesome!"_

 _"The thing is..."_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _You know that Gardevoir and Gallade both mega evolve, right?"_ Erin nodded. _"_ _Well, when a soul bonded Gardevoir mega evolves, it changes the trainer. Diantha, the champion, has a Gardevoir who is in contact with my parents. She says when she mega evolves, Diantha begins to take on some of the characteristics of a Gardevoir,_ _as well as vice versa_ _._ _I believe she calls it_ _Synchro Evolution_ _._ _"_

That shocked Erin enough to stop walking. _"Wait. You're saying I'm going to turn into a Gardevoir because of our bond."_

Ralts shook her head. _"No, not like that. Maybe minor changes in skin and hair, but nothing else external. No, I think that what she meant was that your mind will change. My species are considerably more intelligent than yours. You won't develop psychic powers, but you will gain considerably mental acuity."_

 _"And what about the other way around? What does the bond do to you?"_

 _"_ _I believe it will have the opposite effect. A Gardevoir is humanoid, but not human. I think I will gain incrementally more human characteristics on evolving than other members of my species."_

Erin blinked. A nearly human Gardevoir was unheard of. Was it possible that could happen to Ralts? For that matter, would she become more like a Gardevoir? Either way, it seemed hard to believe.

Soon, the outskirts of Shalour City started to pass by. Erin and Paul stopped at the first Pokemart they saw, taking the desperately needed time to restock. The last time they had been in a Pokemart was before Geosenge town, and they were low on food, supplies, and first aid. The next stop came in the main city district, where they checked into the Pokemon Center. Finally, with Pokemon in tow, they were able to take a moment to explore the city.

The seafront was truly incredible. A long beach had an even longer boardwalk, selling all manner of Pokemon goods and trinkets. A sea of beach umbrellas spotted the white sand. However, the landmark that stood out was the spiraling Tower of Mastery, a massive stone contraption that overshadowed the city.

The marvel of Shalour. The home of Mega Evolution. Site of the Shalour City Gym.

Gurkinn's home.

Erin groaned. She and Paul were sitting on a bench overlooking one of the most beautiful sights in the world, and it was ruined for her by the ghosts of her mistakes. Holding back tears, she whispered, "People died, Paul."

Paul sighed. "There was nothing you could do."

"That's a lie, and we both know it."

As Erin started to cry, Paul wrapped an arm around her. She rested her head against his shoulder, and the two of them watched as the tide came in and the sandbar connecting the tower to the city receded into nothingness. "She's gone," he whispered into Erin's ear, and they both knew he didn't mean Gurkinn.

"I know."

Paul broke away from Erin and stood up. "We should go to pay our respects." Erin nodded, and she wiped away her tears as they walked down from the overlook to the beach. Walking down to the water, Ralts teleported them to the front of the stone tower. Erin sighed as she and Paul walked through the open double doors into the tower.

Inside, a towering persona of a Mega Lucario dominated the tower. A spiraling staircase wound its way up the inside, periodically branching off into rooms and corridors. Long black draperies of mourning covered all of the walls, giving the interior a somber feel. A small sign showed that the memorial to Gurkinn was up at the top, while the gym was down.

Erin and Paul walked up to the top of the stairs. At the end, a massive open air arch led to a balcony overlooking Shalour City. A short pathway through a maze of flowers and gifts from mourners led to a stone casket draped in a shroud of black cloth. She walked forwards only to stop about three feet short of the coffin.

Ralts narrowed her eyes at the stone slab. _"_ _Stop. Something isn't right here."_

 _"_ _What?"_

She teleported in front of Erin and Paul, looking at the coffin. Her eyes glowed, and the coffin seemed to briefly glow before fading. _"_ _Have Pidgeot use hidden power."_

Erin nodded and turned to Paul. The boy looked very confused. "What's going on?"

She frowned. "Ralts thinks she found something. We need to use Pidgeot."

Paul nodded with recognition. He unclasped the pokeball from his belt and tossed it to Erin, who caught it and pressed the button. The massive bird appeared behind the coffin in a flash, hovering over the edge of the balcony. She gave the command, and the entire top of the tower erupted with an eerie green light.

Like ink, Erin and Paul's marks both flooded onto their hands. The coffin lit up like a beacon, beaming purple light across the balcony. The top of the coffin began to blacken in parts, until the three struck-through lines of the Dialga Institute were singed across the lid.

Staring at it, Erin was filled with a bleak fury. _Cerys killed him, and she decides that it's acceptable to mark his dead body? Not if I have anything to say about it._ "Destroy the mark," she growled to Ralts

Ralts nodded, then began to glow, expelling glowing fairy energy at the lid of the coffin. When it faded the stone was untouched. _"_ _No good. That thing has some serious energy imbued in it."_

Erin's lips twisted. That was just it. There was nothing she could do. _I can't bring Gurkinn back. I can destroy the Syndicate and find the Institute, and I will make Cerys pay._ "Pidgeot, thank you."

The bird returned to its pokeball, and the world returned to normal. Paul refastened the ball to his belt. "Erin, are you going to be okay?"

As Ralts teleported onto Erin's shoulder, she closed her eyes and hung her head in a final farewell. "Let's go. We have people to find and organizations to destroy, and that's not going to happen standing around here."

"I suggest that you stop moving right now." Erin and Paul spun around to find a dark figure in sunglasses and a wide brimmed sun hat standing behind them. "Please, I don't intend to use force. Please don't force my hand."

Erin made a split second decision. _"Teleport. Now."_

In the blink of an eye, the trio were standing on a dusty battlefield surrounded by darkness. As the room registered that they were there, the lights flickered on. Paul frowned. "Where are we?"

Ralts smiled. _"The basement."_ She sounded so pleased that Erin couldn't help but to smirk as she relayed the comment.

There was a flash, and suddenly Erin found herself unable to move. The person who had been at the top of the tower appeared in front of them, followed by a Gardevoir. She projected an aura of calm that Erin found slightly unnerving. "You could at least have gone further than the basement. I'm not going to hurt you unless you don't talk. I suggest you do."

Ralts snorted. _"Tell her I don't appreciate her attitude."_ The emotion Pokemon shot off a weak dazzling gleam to distract the Gardevoir, who loosened the psychic for just long enough for Ralts to throw up a protect. Erin and Paul collapsed to the floor.

The Gardevoir's eyes widened, and the person murmured "Such power from a Ralts."

Erin smirked. "Ralts didn't like that, I'm afraid. We mean no harm, unless you're from the Syndicate. Let us go, and we won't bother you."

"You know of the Syndicate? I didn't want to have to go this, but you leave me no choice." The woman changed to a fighting posture. She released a Talonflame and an Aurorus, who along with Gardevoir stood in a circle around the protect. "Who are you, and what do you know about the Syndicate?"

Erin gritted her teeth. _"Can you teleport?"_

 _"No. If I let the protect down, the Gardevoir will have us."_

Erin groaned. "Why should I tell you anything? For all I know, you could be a part of them."

The woman sighed and nodded to Gardevoir. As she did, her clothing turned white and shifted, hat disappearing and coat turning into a wide white dress. "Does this change your mind?"

Erin's eyes widened. "Champion Diantha?"

Diantha sighed. "I will ask one more time. What is your name, and what were you doing with that coffin?"

Erin glanced at Ralts. _"_ _What's Diantha doing? Can you talk to her Gardevoir?"_

 _"No. She's shielded herself. Just tell her your name."_

"Fine. I'm Erin Yvonne, and this is Paul. Can we talk without preparing to kill each other?" The tension in the room seemed to ease a bit as Diantha seemed to motion to Gardevoir to stand down as her other Pokemon filed in behind her. The protect faded, and Erin and Paul both relaxed.

Diantha was about to say something as Ralts grinned victoriously. _"I got through."_ The room was silent, then Diantha's face scrunched up.

"Facinating. I wasn't aware that it was possible for a Ralts to form a Synchro Bond, let alone at such a young age," the champion murmured curiously.

Gardevoir glared daggers at Ralts, who smirked. _"Well, that did it."_

 _"What did you say to her?"_

 _"I informed her that she was as good as a normal type for not having a Synchro bond until she was a Gardevoir."_

Erin smirked and rolled her eyes. _"_ _Don't tell that to Deerling."_ She then turned and looked at Diantha. "Please, we really mean no harm. It's just… we both were good friends with Gurkinn's daughter Korrina, and we wanted to pay our respects."

Diantha nodded thoughtfully. "No, I believe that you don't intend to cause any harm. That doesn't mean that you aren't, but at least your motives are pure."

Erin cocked her head and frowned. "How do you know?"

"A Ralts has the ability to sense the emotions of their trainer. I have no doubt yours would have never bonded with you if anything else were the case."

Erin looked down at Ralts for confirmation, who nodded. _"She isn't wrong. Her Gardevoir talks to much."_

"However, I would like for you to battle me."

Erin gaped at the champion for a moment before realizing what an honor she was being offered and nodded. "It would be my pleasure."

Paul, meanwhile, was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Erin, you can't battle her," he hissed in her ear. "She's the champion, for Arceus' sake!"

Erin shrugged. "That's why I have to battle her. How many chances will I get to have this battle?" She looked up and over at the champion. "I accept." _He's right though. I'm going to get destroyed._

Diantha nodded. "How many Pokemon do you have?"

"Three."

"Then I will use these three," she said, gesturing to the Pokemon surrounding her.

Erin nodded, and they each walked to one side of the battlefield. Paul gulped, shot Erin an accusatory look, and walked over to a bench over to one side.

 **Erin vs Champion Diantha**

Diantha gestured behind her, and Aurorus strode onto the battlefield. "Choose your Pokemon. I'm afraid that there are… circumstances that are preventing me from staying here for long."

Erin nodded. _Deerling has nothing against it, and I need Ralts for the Gardevoir, so let's go with…_ "Druddigon!" In a flash, the cave Pokemon erupted onto the battlefield with a roar.

Diantha raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Druddigon has a distinct disadvantage against an Aurorus."

Before Erin could respond, Paul shouted "Don't underestimate her! She's stronger than you think."

Erin smiled and blushed. "Don't you think I already know that? Let's do this!"

Diantha nodded. "Aurorus, Ice Beam!" The giant blue sauropod's mouth glowed white, and a beam of frost shot towards Druddigon.

"Block with dragon rage then dodge!" Druddigon shot off a beam of draconic energy that collided with the ice beam. For a second, it seemed as if they were equal, but the ice beam broke through to shoot past the spot where Druddigon had been. "Now, use dragon tail!"

Druddigon appeared behind Aurorus and swung an emerald green tail around towards the Pokemon. Diantha grinned. "Checkmate. Dragon tail."

Erin's eyes widened. "Clash with the dragon tail head on, then slam it with dragon claw!"

Druddigon, who was over Aurorus, whipped around at the last second to block Aurorus's tail with his own. The force of the impact knocked him backwards towards the tundra Pokemon's head, and as he flew past he raked its neck with emerald green claws. Aurorus stumbled back with an outraged shriek of pain.

Diantha glanced appraisinglyat Erin. "I would seem that I have underestimated you. Next time will be different."

Erin grinned. She had gotten the first hit on the champion! Without looking at Ralts, she said, _"Tell Druddigon to go for the neck, it's the weak spot on that thing."_ "We're stronger than we look!" Erin called over to Diantha.

Diantha nodded. "Mist, then rock tomb." As Erin watched, a balmy mist covered the battlefield as the ground began to rumble.

Erin grinned. "Jump, then rock tomb climb!" Druddigon sprang up from the mist as his tail glowed green. Whenever a rock passed him, he slammed down on it to propel himself upwards.

Diantha barely flinched. "Interesting strategy. Ice beam."

Erin narrowed her eyes at her Pokemon. "Dodge by spinning around it, then use iron head!" Druddigon used his tail to propel himself down towards Aurorus off of a rock. Spinning away from the ice beam, his head turned a metallic gray. He slammed into Aurorus at full speed with the super effective move, sending the Pokemon staggering backwards. "How is it still standing after that?" she yelled across the battlefield.

Diantha looked passively over the battlefield in front of her as she flourished her hand. "I'm the champion. My Pokemon don't go down easily. Use blizzard!" Aurorus cried out as a pillar of snow and ice shot up around her, and she directed it at Druddigon.

Erin thought fast, but she couldn't come up with a way to dodge or counter. "Dragon rage and dragon tail to soften the blow!" she shouted. Although the two attacks cut holes in the powerful blizzard, it still slammed into Druddigon at nearly high power, causing Erin's Pokemon to roar in agony. She bit her lip and called, "You can do it!"

When the blizzard ended, Druddigon struggled to his feet, shaking himself to get ice and snow off of his scales. He jumped out of the miniature snowbank that Aurorus had created, frosted over and bruised but still on his feet. Diantha nodded. "Erin, you should count me impressed. Few trainers would have thought to try and lighten the blow, and fewer dragon types would have survived it."

Erin shrugged. "Druddigon and I work together. Get in close!"

"Earthquake!"

As Druddigon sprinted towards Aurorus, it reared up onto its hind legs. Slamming back down onto the ground, the battlefield began to shift and crack under Druddigon's feet. "Jump and thunder fang!" Erin called.

"Stop it with an ice wall." Druddigon sprang into the air as his fangs crackled with electricity. As he did so, the jewels along Aurorus' back glowed, and a wall of ice sprang into existence between Druddigon and Aurorus.

"Smash it with iron head!" Druddigon, still flying towards the wall, hit it head on. It shattered, shards of ice striking Aurorus, and Druddigon latched onto the Pokemon's neck with thunder fang.

Aurorus screeched in pain, and Diantha cried outed "Shake it loose!" The tundra Pokemon swung its neck around in a circle, and Druddigon flew back towards Erin and slammed into the ground, struggling to rise up again. Diantha narrowed her eyes. "Now it's checkmate. Take down."

"Iron head!"

The two attacks collided head on in the center of the battlefield, and both Pokemon were sent flying backwards in a cloud of dust. When the dust cleared, Druddigon had staggered to his feet, while Aurorus was clearly unable to battle.

"Aurorus, return." The Pokemon vanished in a flash of red. Diantha looked down at the ultra ball with a smile. "Erin, you are one of the most impressive battlers I have seen in a long time. How many Kalos badges do you have?"

Erin smiled. "One, and thank you."

Diantha smiled as her eyes flashed slightly. "Despite that, you exhibit a poise and strategy in battle that I rarely see from my challengers. If you truly have been on a journey for such a short time, you must have years of experience watching and thinking about battles before then.

 _You have no idea, Diantha._ Erin smiled and said, "You could say that, in a sense." Paul shot her a funny look from the sidelines as Ralts snickered across their mental bond.

"Well, you must be proficient enough to beat many of the battles you face. Shall we continue?"

As she said it, Erin's face fell and she looked away. "Not strong enough."

 **Flashback**

 _Druddigon, roaring in pain as the powerful Outrage of J's Salamance crashed into his side._

 _Pidgeot, Froaky, and Fletchinder, instantly KO'd by a Luster Purge strong enough to destroy buildings._

 _Druddigon, Pidgeot, and Deerling, falling in a single hit to Bryony's Tyrannitar._

 _Druddigon, decimated by a Hydregion's draco meteor as Cerys looked on._

 _Gurkinn, unconscious in the operating room as Korrina cried by his side._

 **End Flashback**

Diantha looked concerned as Erin looked back up. "Are you okay?"

Erin shrugged. "Sorry, it was nothing. I'm ready to keep going.. Who's your next Pokemon going to be?"

Diantha gesture as the bird flew over the battlefield. "Okay, Talonflame, you're up."

Erin nodded. "Druddigon, come and take a rest!" she yelled, recalling her Pokemon. Reaching down to her belt, she picked up the Luxury Ball. "Deerling, I choose you!" The season Pokemon appeared on the battlefield in a cloud of sparkles.

Diantha raised an eyebrow. "You know, normally I would question that choice, but it seems like you have a trick or two up your sleeve. Flame charge!"

"Sand attack to dodge!"

Talonflame enveloped itself in a cloak of fire, and shot towards Deerling at blistering speeds. As he did so, the deer stomped up a cloud of dust, making it difficult for Talonflame to see Deerling. As a result, she was able to dive out of the way of the attack at the last second. Diantha frowned. "Flame charge again!"

"Sand attack again, then leaf attack as it passes." Once again, Talonflame flew into the dust cloud, but this time the bird came soaring out from the impact of an attack. As the dust faded, Deerling appeared, surrounded by a shroud of razor leaves.

Diantha nodded. "At this point, I would expect no less. However, lowering our accuracy won't work on this next move. Aerial ace."

Before Erin could called a command, Talonflame shot across the battlefield and raked its talons across Deerling's flank twice, first up then down. Deerling cried out in pain as she was sent flying backwards, crashing in a dead faint at Erin's feet.

Erin sighed as she returned her Pokemon. _Thanks Deerling, you did great._ _"Ralts, you're on. Psychic that dumb bird into the ground."_

Ralts nodded and teleported onto the field, eyes glowing a light purple as Talonflame cawed out in panic. The bird suddenly shot straight down and hit the ground with a crash, knocked out as well.

Diantha recalled her Talonflame. "Thank you," she murmured softly as she stared out over the battlefield. She nodded to Gardevoir, who was standing behind her. The embrace Pokemon emanated anger as she teleported onto the battlefield, and Erin gulped. A shared look was all it took to have Ralts teleport back to her side. Reaching back to her belt, she once again released Druddigon, who emerged with a roar.

Diantha's demeanor grew more formal as an edge entered her voice for the first time in the battle.. "You may have readily defeated my other two Pokemon, but Gardevoir is in a league of her own. Normally, I would test a challenger's strength before doing this, but with you I'm not taking any chances." Her hand went to the pendant around her neck, and Erin unconsciously held her hand over her own necklace beneath her shirt. "Gardevoir, Mega Evolve!"

Gardevoir and Diantha both began to glow with a multicolored brilliance. Gardevoir began to grow and change. Her ears grew and her hair shrunk, and the spike in the middle of her chest split in two. Her arms were covered in long white gloves, and her dress grew outwards to gain volume. Diantha's outfit, normally cut off at the waist, flowed out to mirror Gardevoir's. The mega symbol flashed, and the transformation was complete.

 _"_ _Wow."_ Erin stared at the Mega evolved Pokemon and her trainer with borderline awe.

Ralts, on the other hand, was determined. _"_ _That's going to be us someday, I can just feel it."_

Erin nodded in determination. "Let's do this. Iron head!" Druddigon roared enthusiastically, and charged forwards.

Diantha nodded, and Gardevoir vanished just as Druddigon was about to hit her. She reappeared at point blank distance with a Moonblast charged, which she slammed into Druddigon with max force. The dragon flew backwards, slamming into the wall in an instant KO.

Erin gritted her teeth. _Physical combat isn't going to work here. We have to out think Diantha._ "Druddigon, return!"

Ralts frowned. _"_ _Here goes nothing."_ She teleported onto the battlefield, and Erin pumped her fist determinedly.

"Let's go!. Me and Ralts are going to take you on!" Erin called across the battle field. To Ralts, she said _"_ _Let's do this. Teleport behind her then use Psychic on the ground."_

Ralts disappeared, then reappeared behind Gardevoir while using psychic to tear of a chunk of earth and slam it into the unaware Pokemon. Diantha's lip curled up distastefully, and she frowned slightly. "So that's how you want this battle to go."

Without any warning, Gardevoir vanished. Ralts narrowed her eyes as her form flickered around her. Erin frowned. _"Dazzling gleam. Hit everywhere."_ She turned away as a blinding flash of light filled the gym, and could hear Gardevoir call out in pain.

She forced her eyes open to see a shadow ball heading straight for Ralts. _"_ _Catch it with Psychic!"_ The ball of energy stopped inches away from Ralts, and the emotion Pokemon grinned. A split second later, she had to spin around to stop another shadow ball, deflecting it into the wall.

From that moment forwards, it was a contest of reflexes. Ralts was strong, but she was no match for the psychic power of a Mega Gardevoir. As a result, Erin found herself playing increasingly desperate defense. Gardevoir had taken some hits, but it hadn't affected her psychic powers in the slightest. Diantha and Gardevoir were attempting to overwhelm Ralts, and it seemed like it was going to work.

Ralts panted as she deflected what seemed like the hundredth shadow ball. _"_ _She's powerful."_

Her control on the shadow ball she was holding with Psychic seemed to slip, and Diantha grinned. "Checkmate. Gardevoir, moonblast."

Erin's eyes widened as the field darkened and an image of a full moon seemed to fill the ceiling. _"_ _Protect, max power!"_ she commanded desperately. A ball of light appeared in Gardevoir's hands, and she slammed it into the clear protective wall that Ralts had created.

Ralts struggled against the immense power being leveraged against her. Erin watched as determination flashed across her face. _"_ _Here we go!"_

Erin gasped as Ralts began to glow a brilliant white. Her protect exploded into a wave of psychic energy that drove Gardevoir backwards into the ground. She grew taller, standing upright rather than on her knees. Her white clothes shifted, become akin to a miniskirt and revealing this green legs. Her hair shifted as well, from her ugly bowl cut to a more flowing style, revealing one of her eyes as well. Her horns shifted outwards as well, so that there was one on each side of her head.

The transformation finished in a cloud of sparkles, and Kirlia gave a happy cry as she teleported over to Erin. _"_ _I did it!"_ Her voice sounded more mature in Erin's mind, and she smiled.

 _"_ _That's awesome!"_ Erin hugged her Pokemon, as Diantha, a battered Gardevoir, and a stunned Paul looked on.

"Uh, Erin?" She looked over to see Paul standing next to her. "You might want to look at your clothes."

Erin frowned and looked down, and was absolutely shocked at what she saw. Her gray sweatshirt, the one she had worn since day one of her journey, now looked more white than gray. Instead of being a pullover, it now had a zipper running down the front that was currently unzipped. As a result, her necklace that she had kept under her shirt now hung loose for everyone to see. The ends of the sweatshirt also seemed to stick out, mimicking Kirlia's skirt. Her undershirt, which was white, and her jean shorts seemed to be for the most part unchanged. Finally, she found her voice, and asked, "Wh- what happened?"

Diantha's eyes were wide. "I think that this is the true effect of Synchro Evolution. It was an honor to see it in action. There are few reports of it happening. Mostly, it consists of mega evolving psychic and ghost types, as well as one report of it happening with a Greninja."

Erin nodded. "So our case is unusual?" Kirlia also looked interested to head Diantha's answer.

Diantha nodded. "Very. As a matter of fact, I want to hear what Professor Sycamore has to say on this issue." She waved a hand at Gardevoir, and both she and her Pokemon briefly glowed before returning to normal. "I believe our battle here is done. Why don't I take us out to lunch and we can discuss?"

 _"I was totally going to win, too,"_ Kirlia grumbled. Erin giggled and nodded, and they were gone from the battlefield in a flash.

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

"What the hell do you mean, no?" Looker yelled.

Serena and Looker were standing at the reception for the tournament police station. A very fat assistant was sitting behind the counter. "I said, no. The officer is perfectly busy with other valid concerns, and won't be bothered by the likes of you."

Looker glared daggers at the man. "Your superior will know about this."

The man shrugged, and Serena groaned. "Come on, we don't have time for this. Please let us through, sir."

The man looked like he was about to deny them entry again. However, a shadow appeared behind his head, and in a menacing voice said, _"_ _I believe that it would be in your best interests to let us through. After all, you wouldn't want anything to happen to Martha, now would you?"_

The man turned as white as chalk. "N-n-no, you wouldn't. Go! Go right ahead, and forget that I ever said anything!"

Rotom materialized and snickered, and the door mysteriously swung open. Looker led the way through, and Serena followed. "You just had to threaten that poor man, didn't you," she scolded it.

Rotom rolled his eyes on his screen. _"Oh, please. He had no good reason not to let us in. Humans like that live on making other people miserable. I should have just shocked that pig into oblivion and have been done with it."_

Serena gulped and turned away. "Remind me never to get on your bad side." _Of all the nasty Pokemon I could have gotten stuck with, it just had to be one who could TALK, now didn't it._

As the trio entered the room, a man raised an eyebrow from behind a wide wooden desk. "Oh, so Ben actually let someone in? Must be important. How may I help you?"

Looker frowned and sat down. "We need to tell you that this tournament is in danger."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Inform me, won't you?"

Fifteen minutes later, Serena and Looker had finished accounting their recollections of what had happened beneath the stadium. The man leaned back in his chair. "I see."

Serena leaned forwards. "So what are you going to do?"

The man shrugged. "Nothing."

Looker's face changed to that of outrage in a second. "What?"

"Simply put," the man said, "I don't believe you.

Rotom smirked. _"_ _Then let me educate you, old man."_ Its screen changed to show a picture of Hunter J. _"_ _This is Hunter J. One of the most vicious wanted criminals ever? Yeah, she's under your stadium orchestrating an attack_ _right now. She's also responsible for several hundred counts of Pokemon abuse, murder, destruction of League property, association with members of Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, and the Syndicate, which she leads. Well, this is what she had to say yesterday."_

Serena watched with suspicion as the man leaned forwards with an odd glint to his eyes. Rotom turned on a recording of the speech Hunter J had given. When it was done, the man leaned back in his chair. "I see."

Looker slammed his fist on the table. "What are you doing? Go on and cancel the finals!"

"Ah, but I see you don't know me. My name is Proton, you see. I'm afraid that you're going to leave now." Proton stood up from his desk and grabbed a pokeball.

Serena's eyes widened, and she backed away from the man as Looker followed suit. Rotom buzzed angrily. _"_ _His name is Proton Machi. He's an ex-member of Team Rocket and a current member of the Syndicate."_

Proton smirked. "Ah, so your little hunk of scrap metal knows my name. I'm afraid if you don't leave now, I'll have to arrest you for assaulting a registered police officer."

Serena and Rotom glared, but Looker tapped her urgently. "Come on, we have to get out of here," he whispered.

They left the room to the glare of the receptionist. Looker half-led, half-pulled Serena down the busy stadium hallway until they found a maintenance corridor, which they slid down. "This puts a thorn in our plans," Looker growled.

Serena stared at him like he was insane. "A thorn? This entire stadium is run by the Syndicate! If we don't get all of the innocent spectators out of here..." She trailed off, not wanting to think of the implications.

Looker nodded. "We need a way to address this entire stadium."

Suddenly, an intercom buzzed to life. THE FINALS OF THIS TOURNAMENT EXTRAORDINAIRE ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN. WOULD ASH KETCHUM AND GARY OAK PLEASE REPORT TO THE BATTLEFIELD?

Serena and Looker looked at each other. "Bingo," he said, and Serena looked meaningfully at Rotom.

The Pokemon shook itself. "No say can do. The protection on this stadium is too good. We're going to have to break into the announcer's box."

Serena gulped and nodded. Looker's face was grim. "I don't like it, but lives are at stake here. Let's do this."

 **Erin's Perspective – Shalour City**

"But you still haven't answered my question," Diantha said pointedly.

Erin, Diantha, Paul, Gardevoir, and Kirlia were all sitting in the booth of a cute Kalosian cafe. Kirlia groaned as she sat back in her seat. _"_ _God, what else does she want to know? We're not telling her about the Institute, and we're not telling her where you came from, so what does she want?"_

Erin was similarly at odds end. "Diantha, what do you want to know?" she asked with a sigh. "I told you what I know about the Syndicate."

Diantha nodded. "I already told you, there's nothing you've said that I don't already know. I want to know who you are, and what you have to do with this whole mess."

Erin's eyes flared. "Look, I'm done with this! I don't care that you're the champion, and if you keep prying into my life, I'm leaving."

Paul put a hand on Erin's arm. "Hey, calm down. You don't have to tell her anything."

Diantha sighed and sagged a bit. "You're right, you know. I just want to be able to help Kalos and stop these criminals."

Erin frowned. "And why do you need to know about me to do that?"

"Something is moving in Kalos, Erin. It's been happening for months now. It's bigger than the Syndicate, bigger than you or me, and I don't know what. There is a shadow over our world, and I intend to find and stop it. Do you know what happened this morning?" Erin shook her head. "Every single league computer at the Pokemon Leagues in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos stopped working. Each one shows the same message."

"What?"

Diantha looked grim. "This is the last good day."

The room was silent.

Paul was the first to speak up. "What does that mean?"

Diantha sighed. It was strange, Erin thought, how a woman with such power could start to seem… old. She seemed so vibrant during the battle, but now she seemed defeated. "I don't know. I was hoping you do."

Erin looked to Kirlia. _"_ _That doesn't seem good, but we need to talk about it later. I'm worried about what Diantha might try to do if we don't leave now."_

Her Pokemon nodded. _"_ _I don't like this. Her judgement is clouded. If she stops us, we teleport."_

Simultaneously, Erin and Kirlia stood up from their seats. Erin looked over at Paul with a pointed gaze. "I'm sorry, Diantha, but we have to leave." Paul rose with a frown, deciding not to protest Erin's decisions.

Diantha's gaze was distant. "Go. I'm expected at a tournament final in an hour. Just go and talk to Sycamore about that transformation, okay?"

Erin nodded, and the trio exited the restaurant in a hurry. When Erin looked back in the window, Diantha was gone.

"What was that all about?" Paul was staring at Erin with a funny glance, and she sighed.

"We decided we needed to leave."

Paul looked over to Kirlia, who blew him a kiss, then back over at Erin. "I still can't get over this transformation thing. You look so different now."

Erin blushed and smirked. "Why, do you like it?"

Paul froze and started stuttering. "I-I-I mean, yeah, it's like, you… you look more mature, I guess. In a good way?" He looked so embarrassed and lost that Erin could help but to laugh.

Kirlia rolled her eyes. _"_ _He's like a little lovesick puppy"_

Erin glared at Kirlia. _"_ _He is not, and I NEVER said that I like him!"_

 _"You just did."_

As Erin and Paul returned to their Pokemon Center, she decided it was time for them to head to Professor Sycamore's summer camp. The two traveling companion packed, then set out for what was sure to be an exciting week of summer camp.

 **Cynthia's Perspective – Sinnoh Pokemon League**

"Report." Cynthia was at her wit's end. The entire league was in upheaval since the message had appeared that morning. _This is the last good day._

"It's not good. We sent fifteen agents to all three of the lakes, and we tripled the guard on the orbs."

"So? That seems acceptable."

The man she was talking to frowned. "We checked the vault before implementing the guard."

A growing sense of dread filled Cynthia. "And..."

"The Adamant Orb is gone."

Cynthia cursed under her breath. "Just the Adamant Orb?"

The man nodded, and Cynthia groaned. "Thank you. I need to alert the authorities immediately."

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

Ash nervously twiddled his thumbs as he sat it the waiting room of the stadium. _Am I really battling Gary again? I haven't done this in ages!_ He glanced down at his belt, which had six pokeballs on it. He had some of his oldest friends with him. He would be fine.

THE FINALS OF THIS TOURNAMENT EXTRAORDINAIRE ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN. WOULD ASH KETCHUM AND GARY OAK PLEASE REPORT TO THE BATTLEFIELD?

Clemont, who was sitting next to Ash, smiled and patted him on the back. "Good luck! I'm sure you won't need it. After all, you know Gary better than anyone."

Ash nodded. Mentally preparing himself, he stood up and walked to the battlefield. As he walked down the long hallways, there was one thought in his mind. _Get ready, Gary. This is going to be a battle to remember._

 **[A/N] So yeah, Synchro Evolution is a thing.**

 **I really like Ash-Greninja, but I think it wouldn't be a singular phenomena. Trainers with really powerful bonds, either psychic or emotional, will be able to do it in this story. Additionally, it is only triggered by evolution, so the only time it will happen is with Erin and Kirlia, Mega Evolution, and [SPOILERS REDACTED]. Additionally, [SPOILERS REDACTED]. Needless to say, there will be more on this.**

 **Two champions, one chapter, huh? We'll see how that goes…**

 **CHANGE NOTES – Mark one of this chapter had an extremely OOC Diantha and a Deerling/ Talonflame battle that Deerling won. The entire Diantha battle has been rewritten to a fair degree.**

 **Anyways, REVIEW and Pokefan87, signing out.**


	26. Shadow of the Day

Chapter 26: Shadow of the Day

 **[A/N] Okay, so there's a lot I want to talk about here. The good stuff will be at the top, and my rant will be at the bottom. You have been warned. I originally intended for this to be the battle as well, but these two scenes went way too long.**

 **Pokemon Generations looks AMAZING. This is the anime that I wish Pokemon had always been. My only problem with it is that Red is the protag, but oh well. I guess it was inevitable. Similarly, Sun and Moon (the games) look SOOO good. The Aether Foundation in future fanfics? We'll see. Finally, the end of XYZ is really good. Like, significantly better than I expected. Good enough that it may play into this plot way down the line.**

 **Notes of this chapter beforehand: All events from Mega Evolution Special One ONLY are cannon in this story. The only difference is that Alain synchro-evolves, not Mega Evolves. Now, for the positive review:**

 _ **Amourshipping guest – Thanks!**_

 **Alain's Perspective – Lysandre Labs**

"Hey, Alain, where are we going?"

Alain closed his eyes and shook his head. _Will she ever stop asking questions?_ "Mairin, I promise that you'll see in a moment." Despite himself, a slight smile crossed his lips.

The nineteen-year old sighed as he looked up at the imposing facility rising up above him. He wore a brown fleece with gray lining that was unzipped, revealing a blue shirt. Black slacks were highlighted by hiking boots. His bare hands were visible, and the flash of a mega stone was visible on a strange bracelet around his wrist. He had to come on short notice, on an emergency call from the fiery-haired man who was his boss.

Mairin, who was walking next to him, frowned. "Hey, but I want to know now!" The green-clad sixteen year old tried to get ahead of Alain, but ended up tripping over her own feet, landing in a pile on the ground. "Oof!" A Chespin, who had been sitting on her shoulder, gave a worried cry and pulled her back to her feet. Mairin smiled and scratched the back over her neck abashedly. "Thanks, Chespie."

Alain sighed as they walked up to the building. "You're not seeing Lysandre." The duo walked through a sliding set of glass doors. Mairin gawked as they entered a several floor lobby dominated by glass and a massive globe of the world. He walked over to a receptionist and showed a badge, then they went down a lit corridor to the side of the lobby.

Mairin shook off her amazement and pouted. "Wait, why not? Who even is Lysandre, anyways?"

"That would be me."

Alain and Mairin both spun around to see a massive red haired man standing behind them. Mairin gasped and took a step backwards, while Alain nodded in a gesture of respect. "Sir."

Lysandre briefly smiled, then looked behind Alain at Mairin, who was staring up at him apprehensively. "And who is your friend you brought here?"

 _I didn't bring her, she came herself._ Before Alain could respond, however, he was cut off by Mairin. "I'm Mairin, Alain's travel buddy! We stick together, right Alain?"

Alain rolled his eyes and grumbled, "More like you keep following me around."

Lysandre chuckled, a deep rolling sound. "In that case, you can come as well. Follow me. We have urgent business to attend to."

The duo followed Lysandre down another hallway and two flights of stairs until they came to a massive room. It was back lit by red light, and was filled with strange glass containers with what appeared to artifacts. Several leather couches sat on the cool artificial floor, and a massive wooden desk stood at the end of the room. One wall was entirely taken up by windows, and the entire room curved as it went deeper.

Lysandre stood by the door as he ushered Alain and Mairin into the room. Alain walked over to a couch, glaring at Mairin as she pressed her face against one of the glass canisters. _If only she were the slightest bit more mature…_ He sat up straighter as Lysandre walked over to him. "So, what is the issue that was so urgent?"

Lysandre frowned. "What do you know about an organization called the Syndicate?" Alain shook his head as Mairin wandered over and sat down next to him, and Lysandre pressed on. "Allow me to educate you."

A screen descended from the ceiling, and several logos appeared on it. Lysandre pointed at the screen with a grim expression. "Team Magma. Team Aqua. Team Galactic. Team Plasma. Team Flare. The Pokemon Hunters. Do you recognize any of these names?"

Alain nodded slowly. "Yes, yes I do. All of them besides Team Flare and the Pokemon Hunters, in fact."

Lysandre nodded. "Around six months ago, there was a systematic break-in at every major prison in all of the main regions, excepting Alola. Authorities think that escapees number in the thousands, and all were once members of at least one of these organizations. The Leagues have kept it quiet, but we believe that all of these organizations have come together under the banner of the shadow organization called The Syndicate."

Alain's mouth dropped, but it was Mairin who spoke first. "But Lysandre, who would do that? What do they want?" She sounded naive and innocent saying it, and Alain had to hold back a sigh.

Lysandre nodded. "That is why I have called you here today. The Syndicate has nefarious motives that are currently unknown to us. However, we have identified their main target, one that will threaten the world if our organization and my boss do not beat them to it."

 _Lysandre has a boss?_ "What is it?"

Lysandre bowed his head. "Legendary Pokemon."

Alain frowned. "All of them?"

Lysandre nodded. "We have determined that the only way to stop this from threatening our entire world is not only to stop the Syndicate, but to capture the legendary Pokemon involved as well. If not, then we endanger our world far more that if the Syndicate gains control of them."

Alain and Mairin gasped. "But how could Legendary Pokemon a danger?" Alain asked, head spinning wildly. "Most are venerated as protectors of balance and humanity, and the rest are generally peaceful."

Lysandre shook his head. "Over the past several years, the capabilities of criminal organizations to function in a destructive manner has skyrocketed. More Legendary and Mythical Pokemon have been disturbed in the past six years than in the last millennium, a shocking uptick. Legendaries are angry with humans, and many of them are in varying states of wakefulness. If we don't capture a legendary after disturbing it, then it causes destruction and death. Just look at some of the recent encounters." He waved his hand, and statistics began flashing across the screen.

40 dead in Eindoak Town after an incident with Zekrom, Reshiram, and Victini.

70 dead in the Plasma crisis in Unova.

150 dead on Shamouti due to destructive weather from the Legendary Bird Trio.

200 dead in a freak storm of the Kanto coast tied to a Mewtwo in the area.

500 dead after Deoxys took over a city and nearly destroyed it.

1,000 dead due to flood waters of fifty feet caused by Kyogre's appearance in Hoenn.

3,000 dead in Alto Mare after an attack provoked Latios and Latias, leading to extreme floods, the awakening of ancient Pokemon, and a citywide shutdown that trapped millions.

200,000 dead in New Tork City after a group of Genesect clashed with a Mewtwo in the city.

And worst of all, more than 300,000 dead after Palkia and Dialga tore Alamos Town apart from it's foundations, killing more that three fourths of the inhabitants.

Mairin was whimpering by the end, and Alain frowned as he covered her ears for the last statistic. Lysandre's eyes were glistening by the end. "500,000 people have died in the last six years as a result of Legendary Pokemon, and this is no natural occurrence. Legendary Pokemon have become a threat to humanity, one that the Syndicate plans to use for their evil ambitions. By doing so, they endanger our world far more than one could ever imagine. We have to stop this at its source to prevent any future incidents."

Alain shook his head. "And this Syndicate is at least 10,000 strong, probably more, with the power of six major criminal organizations backing it"

Lysandre shook his head. "No one single organization still has all of its members. Some defected, either to the police to try and stop the Syndicate or otherwise just didn't want to take part. This brings me to the urgent part of why I called you here."

Alain's head was spinning. _Legendary Pokemon… a threat? If what Lysandre says is true, I need to protect Mairin._ "What do they plan to do?"

Lysandre waved his hand, and the image of a stadium flashed onto the screen. "The Tournament Extraordinaire. The biggest tournament event this year in Kalos, excepting the Pokemon League. Pierre, the head of Showcases in Kalos, as well as the champion Diantha, will be in attendance, as well as more than 70,000 people."

Alain's eyes widened. "And you think an attack will happen there soon."

"Not soon. Either during or after the finals, which will take place in just under an hour." Lysandre massaged his temples as he stared at the picture. "Our sources inside of the organization reported Syndicate activity starting about a week ago. Apparently, they plan to unleash a Legendary Pokemon on the stadium, though we are still unsure of which one. Then this morning, every single league computer read the message 'This is the last good day.' Whatever their plans may be, it is clear that this is only the beginning."

Alain was standing by the end of Lysandre's speech. "What are we waiting for? We have to stop them!"

Lysandre put a hand on his shoulder. "Alain."

Looking into Lysandre's eyes, devoid of hope, his shoulders sagged. "What?"

"It's too late. This attack will happen whether we intervene or not. We already have allocated as much of our resources as we can to stop it. It's too late."

Alain looked defiant for a moment. Mairin poked him and shook her head vigorously, and he sighed in defeat. "What do you need me to do?"

Lysandre clenched his fist. "We have to stop Legendaries before the Syndicate can get to them. In the Hoenn region, the weather trio are dangerously close to being awakened by Steven Stone, the champion of Hoenn. Your job is to join his excavation, and ensure that you are there when he does so. After that, defend the awakened Pokemon from the Syndicate until our men arrive there. If not, we believe the entire Hoenn region may be destroyed in a battle even greater that the time they appeared three years ago."

Alain nodded. "Understood, sir."

Lysandre nodded. "Good. There is a helicopter waiting. Accept any Mega battles you may find along the way, as your former orders still stand." The tall man turned away, and Alain and Mairin walked out of the room.

After they were a fair distance away from the room, Mairin frowned. "That's scary! Why would anyone want to use Pokemon like that?" Chespie nodded from her shoulder.

"There are bad people in this world. There is no logic in cruelty." Alain stared in fear at Mairin. _I can't take her with me! She's clueless and naive, and she'll only get hurt. I can't!_ "You have to stay here."

Mairin's eyes widened. "What? No way! You're my travel buddy, and it's my job to protect you!" She tried to puff out her chest, but doing so caused her to loose her balance, and she tripped over her own feet again.

Alain rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. I think Charizard and I will be fine."

Mairin pouted. "You think just because you can Synchro Evolve with your Charizard, you're so special. I already told you, Chespie and I will do that someday!"

Alain face palmed. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's more complicated than that! First off, Chesnaught can't Mega Evolve. Second, you need a Chesnaught in the first place!"

Mairin's face fell. "Oh." Then she perked up and shrugged. "You still need protection, silly! Me and Chespie can do it without that silly transformation!"

Alain frowned as they ascended several flights of stairs to the roof. "No. You need to stay here." They emerged onto the roof and started walking towards a helicopter parked on the helipad. Alain, expecting a retort, started to walk faster only to stop near the helicopter as no response came. When he turned around, what he saw shocked him.

Mairin stood absolutely still. She was mid-fall, one foot crossed over the other as she stuck her arms out to stop her fall. Chepsie had an expression that clearly read "not again" plastered all over his face as he watched his trainer fall. _Why is nothing moving? What the fuck is happening?_ There was no sound, nothing but his own breathing.

"Alain." He spun around to see a woman leaning against the helicopter that they were supposed to take to Hoenn. She had bright blue hair, and she wore a long cloak that seemed to hug her body and shroud her. "I would have expected you to look a little deeper into your conversation with Lysandre. Such a shame that you didn't really. I suppose it was inevitable."

Alain's eyes flashed at the insult. _What on earth is this woman talking about?_ "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The woman smirked. "Straight and to the point, aren't we? Well in that case, you're going to battle me."

Alain's hand flew to Charizard's pokeball. "Why should I? I have to go to Hoenn." There was a flash of light, and the woman vanished from where she was sitting. Alain looked around wildly, then froze when he realized she was standing next to Mairin. "Get away from her," he hissed.

The woman gently reached out, and brushed a few stray hairs out of Mairin's face. "Such a sweet girl. It would be… a shame if anything were to happen to her."

Alain's face filled with rage and he tried to take a step forwards, only to be stopped by some invisible force. Slamming his fist against what felt like an invisible wall, he shouted, "I said, get away from her!"

The woman shook her head and walked forwards towards Alain. "Alain, you are a fool. Your passion is your best driver and your fatal flaw. You are so blinded by others that you fail to see the consequence in your own actions. I really ought to kill you. It would probably help this world in the end."

The anger left Alain's face to be replaced by fear. "What do you want?" he said in a tone that was almost pleading.

The woman nodded. "It's quite simple, really. Lysandre has misled you, but you're far too valuable to be wasted like this. You're not going to Hoenn anytime soon. Now, you're going to battle me. If you win, you stay with the girl and follow my orders on your terms. If you lose, we do things on my terms. Personally, I think my terms are more fun."

 _I can't let her touch Mairin._ Alain narrowed his eyes and clenched a fist. "Fine. Have it your way. Just don't hurt Mairin." He picked up the pokeball and threw it. "Charizard, go!"

The woman laughed as the Kanto starter appeared, a cold and empty sound that reverberated through the silent air. "Oh, believe me, that was never my intention. In her entire life, YOU were the only one who could ever hurt her." She picked up a pokeball and threw it. "Malamar, you're on."

Alain's eyes widened as the squid-like Pokemon appeared. _How does she have a Malamar? That thing could beat us in seconds._ Malamar's eyes glowed, and Mairin and the woman were both lifted to a higher part of the roof. _Mairin. I have to save Mairin._ "Charizard, keep your eyes closed! Don't let it hypnotize you!"

The woman frowned. "My name is Cerys, and you would do well not to underestimate me. Show me your real power, or your Charizard won't stand a chance."

Alain growled as he grabbed his keystone. _Fine. If she wants it that way, then let's show her what a real battle looks like._ "Beyond evolution, Mega Evolve!" he roared as blinding rainbow light crossed the roof.

As the beams of light from Alain's keystone and Charizard's mega stone connected, both started to glow a brilliant white. Charizard's wings grew and elongated, and massive talons grew at the ends. His entire body changed color, becoming a shade of black that was a stark contrast against his now blue flames. Alain's clothes changed as well, turning black and blue. The fur lining of his coat grew to mimic the flames coming from Charizard's mouth, and his hair stuck up like a horn. The transformation faded with the Mega symbol, and the Synchro evolved duo stood in front of Cerys' watching eyes.

A cold smiled filled her lips as she stood ready for battle. "Malamar, dark pulse."

Alain growled. Charizard still had his eyes closed, so he had to shout out maneuvers as well as moves. "Dodge up, then blast burn."

A void beam of energy blasted towards Charizard, who flew up to avoid it. The dragon came crashing back down to earth as his fist glowed red. He slammed into the roof and it fractured beneath him as a plume of lava and fire erupted from beneath it. Concrete chunks flew into the air, and steel beams ripped and contorted as the blaze flew towards Malamar, only for the Overturning Pokemon to throw up a massive protect that shielded both it and Cerys. When the flare faded, the entire roof was wrecked, the floor below visible. Fires were frozen in flame throughout the building, stopped in time the second Charizard finished the move.

Cerys shook her head. "Stupid. I expected more of you. Psychic."

Unable to stop the attack, Charizard was lifted into the air by a blast of psychic energy. HE roared in pain as it coursed through his body, and Alain cried out "Charizard!"

"Force its eyes open, then hypnosis," Cerys snarled. Against his will, Charizard's eyes snapped open as Malamar's belly glowed yellow. He roared, then his claws glowed green in a dragon claw. Viciously, he began to rip into his own chest, and he and Alain simultaneously screamed out in pain as gashes began to appear.

"Stop it!" Alain shouted in pain. "This is cruel! Why are you doing this?"

Cerys gestured to her Pokemon, and its eyes glowed again. Charizard flew from his levitated position into the wreckage of the roof, landing amid the flames he had created. He and Alain both flashed, and Alain fell to one knee. _She… She destroyed me. How could I have possibly hoped to face up against her?_

Cerys smirked. "Wonderful. So we'll do things on my terms."

Alain cried out in shock as psychic lifted him up into the air. "What are you going to do to me?"

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you, considering you won't remember any of this shortly." Cerys said.

Alain's eyes widened. "You're going to wipe my memory? You can't take Mairin away!"

Cerys looked over at the young girl frozen besides her. "Oh, I would never do that. Simply put, you have a mission. You're going to destroy the Syndicate for me."

Before he could respond, Malamar froze his mouth into place, preventing him from speaking. Cerys took another pokeball off of her belt. Alain looked again, and realized it wasn't just any pokeball.

It was a Master ball.

Cerys pressed the button, and a shadow emerged from the ball, piercing Alain's heart with terror. It was like a cloud of dark energy, and he couldn't make out the Pokemon inside of it. The thing threw out two shadowy arms, and the world lit up with a bright green. _Hidden power._ Malamar's eyes glowed, and Alain's coat and glove ripped off of his arm that didn't have the mega bracelet. The thing's eyes glowed, and Alain was blinded by pain as what felt like a blade cut across his hand. Once he regained his vision, he could see some sort of symbol.

Three lines were drawn across his hand, parallel. Two were shorter, and the other was slightly long. All three were struck through with a single line. It looked like he had gotten a tattoo.

Cerys nodded as Malamar's belly glowed yellow. Alain felt as if he was falling into himself as all semblances of identity began to drain away from him. "Welcome to your new life, Alain. Mairin is your key. And..."

As Alain drifted away, his last thought was of Mairin.

"Remember the Dialga Institute."

 **Mairin's Perspective – Lysandre Labs**

Mairin fell flat on her face.

She growled, and yelled "Alain, I'm not leaving you!" Getting to her feet, he jaw dropped as she looked up at the burning wreckage of Lysandre Labs. 

The facility consisted of five cylindrical buildings, one of which was half destroyed and blazing. Half a dozen alarms rang through the air, and a flood of people started to run out of the building as Mairin stared up in shock. _How did I get here? Where's Alain?_

 _What happened to him?_

As that thought resonated in her head, she screamed "Alain!" Chespie jumped onto her shoulder, and she started to sprint into the building. She burst into the lobby through the chaos of the evacuation. She decided to retrace her steps, and she sprinted down the halls and corridors towards the collapsed building. At one point, she tripped over something small and green, but she kept on running regardless.

When she got into the collapsing building, she couldn't see anything but collapse rubble and dust. The hallway ahead was blocked by chunks of plaster and rock. Chespie frowned as his vines tunneled into the boulders, managed to collapse the pile, revealing a corridor merrily blazing. Mairin looked ahead with dismay. _I'll never get to_ _Alain at this rate!_ Tears started to cloud her vision, but then her resolve steeled. _He's my travel buddy. If he's still there, I need to help him._

Making a split second decision, she threw Bebe's pokeball. The small fairy appeared in front of her, and Mairin said "Help me get through this fire, please. We have to find Alain!"

Flabebe nodded. Mairin ran into the burning building as a cloud of fairy wind and razor leaves surrounded her. She made her way through the burning corridor until she came to a pile of rubble. From the top, the sky was visible. Chespie broke down the pile, and she stepped out into a scene of destruction.

The entire roof had collapsed, and the top floor was open to the sky. Most of it was on fire, and the rest looked charred. The one thing that was immediately clear was that no human could have created that fire. "Charizard," Mairin whispered. "Alain, where are you?"

Mairin, speechless, stared in horror at the destruction in front of her. Bebe worriedly looked at her trainer, then glared at the scene of destruction in front of her. Crying out in a reedy high-pitched voice, a massive cloud formed overhead. Mairin gasped as a heavy rain began to fall. She looked at her tiny Pokemon in awe. "You used rain dance! Awesome, Bebe!" Out of the corner of her eye, Mairin spotted something orange. Spinning around on her heel, she gasped as Charizard came into view.

The fiery dragon was lying in a crater at the foot of the wall of the lab. His stomach looked like it had been savaged, with gashes covering it and bleeding. His tail light was dangerously low, and the rain seemed like it was going to put it out. The shattered remains of a pokeball were scattered around him, and his mega stone was gone, seeming ripped off of his neck.

Mairin stared at Alain's Pokemon in shock and horror. Her eyes teared up as she knelt to scoop up a piece of pokeball. "N-no," she whispered. "What happened?" _Alain, where are you? Please be okay._ Now she truly began to cry in earnest, burying her face in Charizard's warm belly. The Pokemon seemed to stir a little and gave a weak growl, causing Mairin to shoot up in surprise.

 _He's… alive?_ Looking over the Pokemon, it didn't take long to realize that he wouldn't last much longer unless he got urgent care. _Charizard was attacked, and his pokeball is destroyed. I need to get him to the Pokemon Center now._ _But how?_ Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration.

 _I need to catch him._ Remembering what Alain had taught her when she had caught Bebe, she dug a pokeball out of her purse. Looking down at it, she sighed and reached out to press the button against his side. In a flash of red light, the injured fire type was sucked in, and the ball dinged on the first weak roll.

Mairin picked up Alain's Charizard – no, her Charizard, and stared at the ball. Clipping it to her belt, she began to search the top floor frantically for any other signs of life. Almost immediately, she stepped on something soft and black.

Alain's glove. _Does this mean that Alain_ _is dead_ _? Is Alain gone?_ She collapsed to her knees and gingerly slipped in onto her left hand, blankly staring at the space where it had been until a hand rested on her shoulder.

She whipped around to see Lysandre standing behind her. The man had fire in his eyes, and looked murderous as he stared around the destroyed building. "What happened here?" he snarled, looking down at Mairin, who started to cry again.

"A-A-Alain is gone!" she sobbed. Lysandre looked down at her, stoic as black fire raged in his eyes. "I found Charizard, and, and he's really hurt. His Mega stone is gone and his pokeball is destroyed, so I-I caught him. I think somebody tried to kill Charizard, and took Alain."

Lysandre's face took on a grim expression as he stepped forwards. He stepped forwards and surveyed the destroyed wreckage. His voice was dangerously low. "Then the Syndicate has just kidnapped my strongest operative."

Mairin's eyes widened through her tears. "Th- The Syndicate?"

Lysandre nodded, and looked down at her. "You shouldn't be here. This matter no longer concerns you. You need to get Charizard to the center immediately. I will escort you to one personally."

"But-"

Lysandre looked thoughtful. "In fact, Professor Sycamore himself is running a summer camp starting tomorrow. I'm sure that you will be safe there."

"No!" Mairin had wiped away here tears, and she now was angrily looking at Lysandre, flanked by her Pokemon. "Alain's my travel buddy! He looks out for me, so I need to look out for him to. I want to help you find him! I-I need to help!"

Lysandre looked at her with a pitying glance that made her feel even smaller than she was. "Alain has been taken by the most dangerous criminal association in a century, and you, a sixteen year old with a Chespin, a Flabebe, and a mortally wounded Charizard, think you can get him back."

"But-" Mairin's face fell, and she sagged. "Please get him back."

Lysandre nodded. "Come on. I'm taking you away from here." He pulled out an ultra ball and released an Abra. They were gone in a flash, leaving only the desolate building behind in the pouring rain.

 **[A/N] Don't worry about Alain. He has a role to play. I honestly hated doing what I did to Charizard, but I honestly need Alain in a situation where that just doesn't work. It had to happen. This is a transition chapter, honestly. It needed to happen to get us where we need to go.**

 _Rant Warning_

 **First off, let's discuss the Sun and Moon anime.**

 **Oh my god, does Ash's design look ugly. The animators took his weird squiggles, enlarged them, and moved them down his face, to start. Then comes the overly cartoonified look, and his kid-like expressions. And he's going to SCHOOL?**

 **Ash Ketchum, the human who has met ever existing legendary, the boy who has talked down Arceus and saved the world more times than I can count, is going to school.**

 **Pokemon, what the hell are you doing?**

 **Second, let's discuss flaming.**

 **LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR. CRITICISM IS A GOOD THING. I appreciate your reviews more than anything else about this story. You guys are great. However, reviews like this are unacceptable, even though I agree with some of the things he says.**

" _Druddigon as a starter is obviously too overpowered, then merely a few chapters later it gets 7 moves, with most being very powerful moves. There are well done OCs, but this is not one of them._

 _The following traits are common to fan-written works, they are not unique to this story and I'm not particularly singling out Pokefan87's story:_

 _[1]It's a standard self-insert Mary Sue OC, obviously the writer would make them overpowered so their character looks good, and set it up so they are much stronger than the original MCs._

 _[2]OC plans to eventually beat/overtake the main character from the original work, and usually suceeds._

 _[3]Well, as with most fanfiction, get ready for in-story character bashing because it's a popular thing to do among fanfic writers. The amount of character bashing done varies from mild to extreme depending on the writer's taste and the premise of the story (those godawful Ash Betrayed stories), and sometimes characters are made to act out-of-character (OOC) just to please the author._

 _[4]The earlier chapters feel rushed, and should probably be redone to be more consistent with the later chapters. But we all know most authors can't be bothered to do that ;)"_

 **First off, this is a classic example of flaming. A guest logs on, reads part of a story, and leaves a review that is not only negative but incendiary and mean-spirited. Worst off all, the author is unable to respond. I seriously considered not moderating it, but I decided that I would rather prove a point.**

 **Now, I'm going to respond to the legitimate points first.**

 **First, Druddigon. I believe that I have addressed this before, but there are several reasons for this choice.**

 **Most importantly, Erin faces ridiculous opponents like Cerys. She needs to be able to have a fourth of a chance.**

 **Uniqueness was my original reason. When was the last time you read a story with a Druddigon, period?**

 **If you didn't catch it a few chapters ago, that encounter wasn't random. The egg was chosen by SPOILERS REDACTED.**

 **Finally, there's an upcoming plotline that has been hinted since chapter five.**

 **Second, this point:** _"_ _It's a standard self-insert Mary Sue OC"_

 **Honestly, the self-insert part is easy. I am nothing like Erin. Erin has a plot based and centric reason for being in this story, and everything about her comes from this. IT has nothing to do with my life. That's all I can say**

 **Now, for the Mary Sue part. I have so many reasons for why Erin isn't, so let's go**

 **First, anyone who's ever played the XY games knows how terrible the pacing is. By the time I got to Shalour City, my entire party was ~level 35. Erin's team is underleveled by that criterion. By all rights, Ralts should be a Gardevoir in game logic and in power. Now, Ash, on the other hand, has a ridiculous Pikachu and a weak Fletchinder and Froaky. There's a reason Erin seems better than he is.**

 **Second, Erin looses way more than she wins. The only battles she has legitimately won onscreen in this work have been against Grant and Team Rocket. Not exactly a winning record.**

 **Third, the four move limit is stupid. Every move in Erin's party is on level or can be taught by TM. In my world, actual training is my alternative to TM s.**

 **Now to respond to the rest:**

 **"** _OC plans to eventually beat/overtake the main character from the original work, and usually suceeds"  
_

 **This is absolute bs. You read to chapter seven. You have no clue where this story is going, and have to no right to judge the entire plot off of your assumptions. This motivation becomes insignificant by the fifteenth chapter.**

" _Well, as with most fanfiction, get ready for in-story character bashing because it's a popular thing to do among fanfic writers. The amount of character bashing done varies from mild to extreme depending on the writer's taste and the premise of the story (those godawful Ash Betrayed stories), and sometimes characters are made to act out-of-character (OOC) just to please the author"_

 **I am insulted that you compare this to a Betrayal fic.**

 **There is virtually no character bashing in this story, besides team rocket, who receive their usual treatment.**

 **Characters don't act OOC to PLEASE THE AUTHOR. They act OOC because of CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.**

" _The earlier chapters feel rushed, and should probably be redone to be more consistent with the later chapters. But we all know most authors can't be bothered to do that ;)"_

 **This infuriates me. The whole point of writing fan fiction for me is to improve my writing. Suggesting that any story is invalidated by the first chapters is bad enough, but to suggest that we can't be bothered to change it?**

 **Can't be bothered?**

 **Are you kidding me?**

 **I have spent six months of my life writing this, and I adore this story more than anything I have ever written. To suggest that I don't care is possibly the worst thing you could say to a writer's face.**

 **You know what I say?**

 **Guest, since you obviously have enough time to spare, go write your own fanfic. Once you write 80,000 words, come back and tell me I don't care.**

 **I think you'll find this review waiting for you.**

End Rant

 **I apologize to everyone who read through that. Thank you for your support. Remember to review, and Pokefan87 signing out.**


	27. The Finals Extraordinaire! - Part One

Chapter 27 - The Finals Extraordinaire! - Part One

 **[A/N] Consistent with me wanting to post somewhat regularly and not wanting ridiculously long chapters, I had to split this chapter up AGAIN. I know, I said some three chapters ago that it would be one chapter. Obviously, I was wrong.**

 **Also, we are close to 100 in everything! By the end of next chapter, this story will have more than 100,000 words. Your support for this story has been incredible and let's keep it going!**

 **Finally, the more I plan out the Summer Camp arc, the better it gets. I can safely say that it will be the best arc of this fic so far. And now for the reviews:**

 _ **NatNicole – Wow! Thanks so much for all of the reviews and support!**_

 _ **Guest – I know, it's terrible. It looks like we're going to loose Greninja too! Seriously though, the XYZ writers are setting Sun and Moon up for failure by giving them a blank slate. Look at what happened in BW. *shudders.**_

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – I still have hope too. Hopefully the writers will make Amour officially canon in the Serena episode.**_

 _ **Guest98101 – Thanks! I agree with you that the Deerling-Talonflame battle was a serious stretch. Honestly, I just wanted to give Deerling a win. I feel like Deerling is such a forgotten Pokemon, and it really needs some love occasionally. I have a couple ideas on how to fix the problem of Erin being a bit to powerful for now, mainly through the fact that Ash is actually really damn good at battling in my AU. As for Cerys, she has her reasons, which will be explored soonishish.**_

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

Ash stood alone in the tunnel leading to the field.

In his hand, he held a old piece of metal. The inside was lined with the residue of ancient wire, and the outside was a faded coat of red paint. He ran his finger across the sharp edge before chlenching it in his fist and putting it in his pocket. _Gary, I'm ready for you. I'm going to do even better that my battle against you in the Johto league._

Ash smiled as Pikachu's familiar weight fell on his shoulder. The yellow mouse had a determined expression, and Ash nodded. "Alright, let's do this buddy."

Light flashed across his face as he walked through the archway and into the roar of the crowds. He adjusted his hat as he walked across the dirt battlefield to his side of the fields.

"And on the right, we have Gary Oak!"

Ash stared determinedly at his friend and former rival as he walked onto the field. Gary grinned as he walked into the stadium, enthusiastically waving to the crowd. The two locked eyes as Gary took his place across the battlefield.

A ref walked forwards onto the battlefield. He adjusted a small black microphone on his shirt, cleared his throat, then looked out at the packed stadium. "Welcome to the finals of this Tournament Extraordinaire! For those of you tuning in, we have nearly 70,000 people present, including Kalos Champion Diantha!"

A massive spotlight turned to a box high above the stadium field, and Ash spotted Diantha waving inside of it. _So she's the Kalos League champion, huh._

The ref turned back to the field. "This will be a full six on six battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Gary Oak of Pallet Town! Both sides will be allowed to make unlimited substitutions. A fifteen minute break will be taken after one trainer looses three Pokemon. The winner will be awarded the prize of the magnificent Trophy Extraordinaire, as well as an extra special surprise!"

A murmur went through the croud as the ref announced the surprise. Ash frowned, his brow furrowed, and could see Gary do the same. _What surprise?_ A strange ominous feeling seemed to fall over him as he remembered something from the day before. _Maybe it has something to do with what happened to Serena... No, it couldn't be._

As the crowd watched, Ash and Gary walked to the center of the battlefield to shake hands. As they clasped hands, Gary frowned. "Good luck. Wonder what that surprise is?"

Ash nodded. "I have no idea. Either way, let's make this one as good as the Johto League!"

As they returned to their respective sides of the battlefield, the ref raised his flag in the air and shouted, "Battle, begin!"

Gary nodded, then smirked. "Just like old times, Ashy boy! Umbreon, let's go!" He unclipped a dusk ball from his belt and threw it, revealing the pitch black Eeveelution.

Ash grinned. _In the Johto league, I saved my best for last. This time, we're going to do things a little differently._ He unclipped a pokeball from his belt and threw it. "Charizard, I choose you!"

The ball erupted into a burst of flames as Charizard exploded onto the battlefield with an earthshaking roar. Ash nodded determinedly as his strongest Pokemon nodded at him. He had been strong even back in Johto, stronger still in Unova, and now... He was bigger than all the others in Charicific Valley, had an absurd twenty move set, and overall had become a dominant force to be reckoned with.

Gary's eyes widened. "Arceus, Charizard looks strong."

The announcer's voice rang through the stadium. "Wow, does Ash's Charizard look powerful! How will Gary respond to this threat?"

Ash grinned. "Alright, let's start this thing! Charizard, use flamethrower!"

Gary frowned, gritting his teeth. "Umbreon, dodge with quick attack then chain shadow ball with dark pulse!"

Ash's eyes widened. _Chain? What does that mean?_ As Charizard lauched a stifling blast of fire at Umbreon, the dark-type sprang into movement, becoming surrounded by a white aura as he sped up to incredible speeds. Using his momentum, he sprang into the air. A dark ball formed in front of his mouth, and he launched it forwards. Immediately after doing so, he launched a powerful dark pulse into the ball propelling it towards Charizard.

Ash frowned. _I get it. Chaining is where you use multiple attacks to power one up. Gary's been practicing._ "Charizard, dodge using fly and use steel wing to knock Umbreon off balance!"

Charizard shot straight up into the air, narrowly dodging the shadow ball as he did so. His wings turned steely, and he shot towards Umbreon. Gary grinned victoriously. "Perfect. Use psychic on the shadow ball and protect."

Ash narrowed his eyes as a shield sprang up around Umbreon and the shadow ball shot towards Charizard's back. "Fire spin and dragon tail to block, then use Seismic toss on the protect." _Gary's good, but we're better._

As flames spilled from his mouth, Charizard went into a furious barrel roll towards Umbreon, shrouding himself in flames. His tail glowed green as it slammed into the shadow ball, sending it harmlessly into the protective barrier covering the stands. He slammed full force into the protect with the full force of three moves, but Umbreon held strong. Unwavered, Charizard grabbed the protect, holding the entire move as he went into a nosedive towards the ground.

Gary shouted, "Double team and psychic! Break the protect!" Umbreon cried out as the protect shattered, and several clones appeared around the battlefield. Using psychic, he let himself down onto the field as Charizard careened towards the ground.

Ash nodded. "Blast burn."

Charizard hit the ground with full force and a glowing fist, roaring as insane power coursed from him into the ground. The entire stadium floor seemed to explode, sending plumes of rock and lava in all directions as the blast coursed towards Umbreon. "Substitute!" Gary yelled. Umbreon vanished as his clones were destroyed, and the ground he had been standing on vanished in a burst of fire. "Now, dark pulse!"

Charizard whipped around with lightning speed as Umbreon appeared behind him. Without needing a command from Ash, he blocked the dark pulse with a powerful dragon breath while launching an overheat that slammed into Umbreon with full force, causing the Pokemon to cry out in pain. "Seismic toss!" Ash called, and Charizard grabbed Umbreon, slamming him into the ground.

When the dust cleared, Umbreon was lying on the floor of the stadium, clearly knocked out. Gary returned him with a smile. "Wow, Ash, Charizard has really gotten incredibly powerful. Count me impressed."

Ash smiled as Charizard landed next to him and nodded. "Thanks. I know Charizard appreciates that too."

"Incredible! After a fierce battle, Charizard has knocked out Umbreon with two direct hits, not taking a single hit himself! What power!"

Gary took another pokeball and threw it onto the battlefield. "Alright, Mienshao, I choose you!"

Ash's eyes widened as the graceful fighting type appeared on the battlefield. _Wow, I haven't seen one of those in a while!_ Digging in his pocket, he dug out his Kalos Pokedex and pointed it at the Mienshao.

MIENSHAO, THE MARTIAL ARTS POKÉMON AND THE EVOLVED FORM OF MIENFOO. MIENSHAO'S ARM ATTACKS ARE SO FAST THEY'RE ALMOST INVISIBLE. IT USES ITS LONG ARM FUR AS A WHIP.

Ash nodded thoughtfully as the entry read off. "Charizard, return!" Charizard roared as he returned to his pokeball, and Ash traded it for another, not yet releasing the Pokemon within. "I didn't know that you had any Unova Pokemon," he called over to Gary.

Gary shrugged. "I was there on a research assignment for Rowan two and a half years ago. Gutsy move, switching out Charizard."

Rather than respond, Ash threw his pokeball. "Go, Heracross!" The beetle appeared on the battlefield, and the battle immediately commenced again.

"Mienshao, use fake out!" Gary called. Before Heracross could do so much as move, she had shot across the battlefield and delivered a solid blow to his chest, staying in close.

Ash narrowed his eyes. "While she's close, megahorn!"

"Dodge, then use power up punch!" Heracross' horn glowed, and he lunged forwards, only to find that Mienshao had jumped back. The martial art Pokemon's hands glowed, and she slammed them down towards Heracross.

"Close combat to counter!" Heracross' fists glowed white, and the two Pokemon broke out in a fierce spar as each attempted to gain the upper hand. Both began to land hits on the other, but neither seemed to gain the upper hand. Suddenly, Mienshao slipped and Ash saw an opening. "Aerial ace, now!"

"Bounce back and use Aura Sphere!" Heracross' back erupted with two scaly wings, and he burst up into the air, bringing his horn down right where Mienshao had been. Gary's Pokemon had sprung up into the air the second before. In midair, she brought her hands together and charged an intensely powerful burst of aura, blasting it towards Heracross.

"Counter with hyper beam!" In midflight, Heracross flipped and shot a raging beam of purpleish black energy at the aura sphere. It blasted through the blue ball, heading straight for Mienshao.

"Dodge and use acrobatics!" Mienshao spun herself out of the way, and fell with increasing speed towards Heracross.

Ash's eyes widened. "Protect!"

Gary pumped his fist. "Perfect. Bounce off of the shield, then use Swords Dance!" As a multicolored energy shield sprang into life around Heracross, Mienshao flipped and kicked off of the wall towards the ground. The moment that she did so, she sprang into an intense combat dance that left her visibly pumped and energized. "Now, use bounce to get close, then chain aura sphere and power-up punch!"

Ash cursed himself internally. _Crud, that was a huge mistake. If I had called endure instead, I would have had an easy counter._ "Let her get close, then chain close combat with aerial ace and megahorn!"

Mienshao sprang off the ground once more, hurdling towards where Heracross was hovering. Her fist glowed a brilliant blue, and she punched towards Heracross. At the same time, Heracross' arms and legs glowed white while his horn glowed green, and he wildly attacked as Mienshao collided. The martial arts Pokemon took hit after hit, obviously taking significal damage, but drove her fist straight into Heracross' thorax, slamming him to the ground.

"Finish this with aerial ace!" Mienshao came slamming to the ground on top of Heracross, a clear knock out as she sprang back to Gary's side.

Ash growled as he recalled Heracross. _Without that swords dance, Heracross would have won that. That thing can't take another hit._ He didn't even bother to call his Pokemon as he gave the command. "Quick attack."

Recognizing the command before Gary even realized the battle had started again, Pikachu took off from Ash's side like a bullet, slamming into Mienshao with the force of a speeding train. The unaware Pokemon was slammed fifty feet backwards, embedded into the stadium wall as rock shattered around her. Pikachu sped back to Ash before Gary even had time to open his mouth.

"And Mienshao is down! After taking out Heracross in a masterful battle, Ash's Pikachu demolished her in a single hit! Just how powerful are Pikachu and Charizard?"

Gary's jaw was slack. "But how?" He recalled Mienshao, then looked over at Ash, whose eyes were now firey from the heat of battle. Gary tightened his lips. "So that's how we're going to play this, huh? In that case..." He grabbed a pokeball from his belt and threw it onto the battlefield. "Nidoqueen, go!"

Ash had to think about his choice for a moment. _Pikachu can take this thing down for sure, but is it worth risking him when I'll need him later?_ Coming to a decision, he yelled "Pikachu, come back over here!" The yellow mouse scampered back to his trainer as Ash threw a different pokeball. "Gliscor, I choose you!"

The bat-like ground type appeared in front of Ash, spinning around to grin at his trainer while sticking his tongue out. Ash smiled at his Pokemon, while Gary seemed apprehensive. "Alright, let's start this!" he called. "Nidoqueen, use toxic!"

Ash smirked as Nidoqueen launched the poison off. _So he doesn't know, I guess._ "Swords dance!" Purple spikes slammed into Gliscor, who seemed rather unaffected as he pumped himself up with swords dance. "Now, use X-Scissor!"

Gary's eyes were wide as she shouted his command. "Wait for it, then use Venoshock!" Gliscor crossed his claws in front of his face as he shot towards Nidoqueen, who was gathering poison energy into a blast. He slammed into her chest for what was obviously a significant ammount of damage, then was knocked back as the poison blast slammed into his face.

Gliscor tumbled across the ground as Nidoqueen fell to one knee. At first, it seemed like he might have been done for. However, he started to glow with a strange pink aura, and shot straight up with a burst of new energy. Gary's jaw dropped. "He has a hidden ability?"

Ash and Gliscor both nodded. "Yup, and I didn't even realize it until I was in Unova. Between poison heal and swords dance, Nidoqueen doesn't stand a chance. Look at how much she took from a single ineffective hit!"

Gary looked at his Pokemon with a frown, realizing he was right. "Nidoqueen, do you feel good enough to stay in?" She nodded determinedly, and Gary sighed. "Let's do this. Stone edge!"

"Get on top, then Aqua Tail!" As stones erupted from the ground around Gliscor, he leaped into the air as his tail glowed blue. Slamming it against the highest stone, he propelled himself towards Nidoqueen with stunning force, slamming it into her side.

"Venoshock!"

"Chain steel wing and X-scissor!" Nidoqueen roared, then launched another purple blast of poison at Gliscor. Rather than take the attack, Gliscor's wings turned steely as he shot forwards and he harmlessly deflected the attack into the ground. Nidoqueen was unprepared when Gliscor slammed into her side, knocking her to the ground. The Fang Scorpion Pokemon flew back to Ash's side of the field as Nidoqueen struggled to her feet.

Gary gritted his teeth, knowing he needed to give another command. He didn't want to loose Nidoqueen, but he knew that he desperately needed the break to reassess his strategy. "Ice beam!"

"Earthquake." Before the exhausted Nidoqueen could so much as process the command, Gliscor had slammed into the ground, sending out a shockwave that rumptured the battlefield. Nidoqueen cried out as she lost her balance and collapsed in a faint, and Gary recalled her before she got seriously hurt.

"And Nidoqueen is down! Gary has lost his first three Pokemon, so there will now be fifteen minute break before the battle starts again."

Ash grinned and pumped his fist as the crowd roared. _We're doing awesome! Let's keep this up, and get that reward!_

 **Diantha's Perspective – Route 27**

Pierre leaned back in his seat, and whistled. "Fantastique! Ash is a truly amazing trainer. Ze strength of his Pokemon, especially Charizard and Pikachu, is astounding."

Diantha frowned as she looked down over the battlefield. "Yes, he really is something, isn't he..." She sighed as she watched the boy recede into the stadium. _Their battling styles are so similar. Considering that he's obviously a veteran, I would think she learned from him. How did she get so good, so fast? It's almost as if she has help of some sort. Either way, I would love to watch a battle between the two._

"Ma'am, are you all right?"

Diantha looked back at her secretary, Kathi Lee, who was sitting behind her. "Yes, I'm fine, just..."

The other woman frowned. "I know you better that that. Ever since that message this morning, you've been acting funny. You still haven't told me where you disappeared to for so long!"

The champion sighed. "I don't know, Kathi. I was paying my respects to Gurkinn, when I ended up challenging a girl who was trying to disturb the grave."

Kathi's eyes widened. "What? You actually challenged someone? You haven't done that since you were a normal trainer!"

Diantha hung her head. "I let my arrogance get the better of me. She had a synchro bond with her Ralts, something that I've never seen in a basic stage Pokemon. I thought she was trying to loot the grave, and then she said something about destroying organizations. So I challenged her to see what she meant."

"Was she strong? As strong as Ash?"

"No, but she beat Aurorus and Talonflame with a Druddigon and a Deerling." Diantha's head drooped at that a little. _I'm supposed to be the champion, and my Pokemon can hardly stand up to a novice, even if she if extraordainarily skilled for her age and level._

Kathi's jaw dropped. "She did what? How did you beat her?"

Diantha shook her head. "I didn't. Gardevoir beat both of them, and would have beaten Ralts too until she evolved into Kirlia. We would have won, but I realized I wasn't getting the information I wanted through the battle, so I ended it."

The other woman's gaze was piercing. "So did she tell you anything?"

"No."

Silence filled the box until Pierre broke it. "Pardon me, madame, but I couldn't help but to overhear. Perhaps we may know this girl, non? What is her name?"

Diantha frowned. "Erin Yvonne."

Kathi's eyes widened, and she and Pierre simeltaneously said, "I know her!"

Diantha raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You do?"

Kathi nodded. "Of course! As your manager, it's my job to monitor the news and reports that come to the league. She's made the news twice in the last month! First, she took on Hunter J on Route 8, but was unsuccessful when she tried to stop her from kidnapping a boy named Sanpei. Then, she saved more than twenty people in the Geosenge landslide last week!"

Diantha's eyes widened in shock. "Really? Why didn't I know about this?"

Kathi shrugged, and Pierre butted in. "Madame champion, that is not all. Erin has also become quite famous online. Two months ago, she made a hit music video entitled "Gotta Catch 'Em All" that has more than fifteen million views on Pokevision! She is a star magnifique!"

Diantha groaned and slumped down in her seat. "I had no idea. She seemed... troubled when I talked to her. She also knew all about the Syndicate, as well as something she wouldn't tell me about. I didn't know any of that."

It seemed like the conversation would continue, but all of a sudden, Diantha's phone began to buzz with a ringtone she only reserved for her fellow champions. Snatching it and hitting the accept button, she turned it to speaker so the entire room could hear it.

The other side of the line seemed extremely turbulent, and Diantha had to struggle to hear the voice on the other side. "Diantha, this is Cynthia."

Her brow furrowed. "Cynthia, why is there so much turbulence?"

The champion on the other side of the line had to shout to be heard. "I'm flying at Mach Two south to Kalos right now. You need to shut your tournament down. We have a code red level crisis on our hands."

Diantha's eyes widened, and she shouted "What?" Kathi and Pierre both looked shocked as well.

Cynthia's voice crackled with static as she continued to talk. "All our computers shut down this morning. Then, we discovered that the Adamant Orb was missing. Using the computers at the research facility, we ran a full scan for the orb. We didn't find it, but we found a similar signature emenating from your exact location. Diantha, there's a legen-"

Diantha snapped back into her seat as a black boot came slamming down on top of the phone, shattering it into a thousand pieces. She wildly looked up as a black gloved hand covered her mouth and kneed her in the gut. The smirking face of the wanted criminal Celosia stared back at her. "Oopsies. Did I interupt something?"

As Diantha keeled over in pain, her pokeballs erupted in a flash. Celosia was slammed backwards against the wall of the private booth as Gardevoir emerged with a raging fury. She regained her composure as she backed into a corner of the booth with Kathi Lee and Pierre. Gardevoir, her Goodra, and Pierre's Klefki made a wall in front of them as she stared down the criminals in front of her.

 _Celosia, former member of team Flare? Proton, former member of team Rocket? Why are they together?_ The two enemy executives had collectively a Crobat, a Drapion, a Beheeyem, a Weezing, and a Manectric. Proton looked at them and grinned demonically. "Now, now. It wouldn't do for you to ruin the Syndicate's fun, now would it?"

Diantha's eyes flashed. "Teleport." Gardevoir nodded and flashed, but nothing happened. "What?"

A wierd purple barrier shone as steel barriers collapsed in front of the windows and the door to the booth. Celosia nodded. "Teleport doesn't work inside of Beheeyem's magic room. I'm afraid our champion is out of luck."

 _The Syndicate is here? Legendary Pokemon? We have to stop this tournament NOW!_ She grabbed her pendant without a second thought and yelled, "Mega Evolve into Psychic! Dragon Pulse!"

Pierre stepped forwards in front of Kathi Lee. "Klefki, use Dazzling Gleam!"

Celosia gestured, and a massive wall of protect erupted in front of her and Proton. The attacks all harmlessly dissipated against the shield as Gardevoir finished her transformation. Diantha and Piere both took fighting stances and prepared for a fierce fight against the admins.

 **Mairin's Perspective – Sycamore's Summer Camp**

To say Professor Sycamore was surprised when Lysandre and Mairin, both wet and bedraggled, teleported into his office without warning was an understatement.

One second, he had been writing an important paper on Absol's Mega Evolution. The next, one of the most powerful men in Kalos and a sobbing girl were standing in front of him. He fell backwards out of his chair as Lysandre grumbled, "Hello, Augustine."

Mairin broke away from Lysandre and collapsed into an armchair as he exchanged pleasantries with Professor Sycamore. Still crying, she burried her face into Chespie's chest. The small Chespin was glaring at Lysandre, who was barely holding in his contained rage. Try as hard as she might, she couldn't tone out their voices.

Professor Sycamore picked himself back up and attempted to collect himself as he stared at the imposing man. "Lysandre, an unexpected pleasure. What brings you here?"

Lysandre glared at the man in front of him. "Lysandre Labs was just destroyed by the Syndicate. I'm dropping the girl off at your summer camp. Don't waste my time."

Sycamore shrunk back from Lysandre's imposing figure. "The what DESTROYED Lysandre Labs!? Why?"

"I said, I don't have time for this. She has a Pokemon in critical state, and I have somewhere to be. Can you take the girl?"

"Y-yes, of course. All young trainers are-" He was cut off by a wave of Lysandre's hand, who vanished without another word.

Sycamore stood there for a moment, staring at the place where Lysandre had been. It was only after a second that he seemed to register that Mairin was still in the room. Frowning, he walked over to her and said, "Hello, I remember you. You're Mairin, right?"

Mairin didn't respond, but curled up into a deep ball instead. After a moment, she muttered, "Lysandre said you had a Pokemon Center."

Sycamore frowned, his eyes widened. "That's right! Lysandre said you have a Pokemon in critical condition! We have to get there right away." Mairin nodded, and trying to fight down the emotions swirling like a hurricane inside of her, she followed the professor as he exited the office building to heal Charizard.

 **Froaky's Perspective – Pallet Town**

"That'll do it for the first half of our championship match! Ash currently leads Gary 5-3, and he's looking like a strong contender for the win. Stay tuned for more as we go to a commercial break."

The open field outside of Oak's Lab was currently in a state of ruckus. Some fifty odd Pokemon were roaring and chasing each other around in circles, exuberant over their trainer's success as of yet. In addition, a circle of several humans sat directly in front of the screen, cheering as well.

Misty was staring at the screen, somewhat shellshocked. "Wow, I had no idea that Ash had gotten so good! When we were traveling, he would have been destroyed in this match."

Tracy shrugged, and Brock smiled. "It's true. He looks better than he was in Sinnoh, even. Charizard is a crazy strong powerhouse, and Pikachu isn't any weaker. I'd imagine that he's ecstatic right now."

Misty sighed as she hung her head back and stared at the sky. "He's so different than he used to be. I wonder what he's like now.

Delia smiled at Misty. "Dear, I'm sure that Ash would love it if you called him sometime. After all, you haven't seen each other in over three years now, right?"

Misty sighed, and Brock nodded. "That sounds like a fantastic idea! Now that I think of it, I haven't seen Ash in quite a while either. Maybe we should take a vacation to Kalos."

Tracy frowned. "But Brock, what about you urgent care center? You can't leave it unattended for so long! And Misty, aren't you taking the exams to replace Agatha as a member of the Elite Four?"

Misty pursed her lips and groaned. "Yeah, you're right of course. I know it's just a dream for right now. Things like this never seemed to be problems when he was ten and I was twelve. Now he's sixteen and I'm an adult..."

Delia smiled. "You shouldn't worry about Ash. From what I here, he's traveling with a group of five others right now. Two siblings named Bonnie and Clemont, two twin sisters named Serena and Erin, and a girl named Elle. I'm sure they're taking perfect care of my little boy."

Misty raised an eyebrow and whistled as she nudged Brock in the ribs. "Three girls this time, huh? He's really outdone himself."

Brock briefly looked like he was going to have a love crisis, then calmed down. "Hey, I have a girlfriend now. Not my problem. Are you sure that you don't care though, _Mist_." He elbowed the Cerulean gym leader back.

Misty turned beet red and procured a mallet out of thin air. "You're going to get it for that one, buster!"

As Brock desperately tried to get as far away from Misty as possible, Professor Oak emerged from the lab bearing a plate of refreshments. "Everyone, my cousin Samson has sent me a new recipe for Alolan Punch that I think you all should try. How badly is my grandson loosing now?" He sat down and set the plate of drinks next to Delia who smiled at him.

"Thank you, Samuel," she said. "I had no idea that you could cook."

Oak nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Well, you see, I ca-"

He was interupted as Brock and Misty both jumped up and shouted, "5-3! In your face!"

As the sound of laughter filled the air, Froaky turned his attention away from the conversation. He hadn't let himself be caught just to listen to some foolish humans talk. He should be training, getting stronger.

If he wasn't getting stronger with the chosen, perhaps he was never ment to get stong in the first place.

If that was so, then Zygarde was wrong, and the entire world was doomed to fall.

 **Squishy's Perspective – Route 10**

As a winding path dotted with menhirs reached its apex, a strange green dog bounded to the summit of the mountain.

Reaching the center, it roared with all the might he could muster, then exploded into thousands of green lights that sped off into the distance. The dog glowed, and shrank down to the form of an amorphous green blob with a red crystal on his stomach. Zygarde collapsed onto the hard snowy rock, where he sat as a group of Snover stared at him curiously.

Five hours had passed since he had been inexplicably freed from the human labratory. The explosion had taken out the power and destroyed the machinery, allowing him to collect the power to break free and escape. In his weakened state, there was no way to be sure, but it was almost as if the explosion had been the work of another legendary...

Reaching out with his cells, Zygarde launched a wave of energy, strong enough that Blue could feel it, he hoped. A tingle touched on his conscience, and he frantically began to talk as the connection was established.

 _"_ _Blue, are you there? We have to talk immediately. There is much that I have learned about the nature of this crisis during my imprisonment, and we need to discuss."_

Blue's response was furious. _"_ _So you finally made it out, and alive to boot. You are the biggest fool of a legendary that I have ever met, except for Hoopa perhaps. I tell you day in and out that interacting with humans is the death of order, and you try to meddle in their affairs. Look at where that got you! The meddlers got you, destroyed your agent's potential, and still have their plans moving at full throttle. If anything, you caused more harm than good! Shame on you!"_

Zygarde growled mentally. _"_ _My agent is perfectly fine. The chosen is on the correct path to stop them! If we don't interfere, there will be no world to put in order. I still will put my trust in humans, regardless of what you believe. I will support the chosen, regardless of what you may believe!"_

 _"Don't be a fool. Return to Terminus Cave this instant, or-"_

Zygarde cut the connection off in fury. He would find order, no matter how close minded Blue was! Turning tail, he began the long journey to his destination, which was most certainly not Terminus Cave.

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

Serena and Looker sprinted down the maintenance corridor towards a set of double doors marked "Authorized Personel Only." She was flanked by Zorua and Fennekin, while Rotom floated along behind them. She groaned, feeling the strain on her legs, but pushed herself to keep going. _We have to stop this tournament before it's too late._

 _"_ _Aw, are princess' legs tired? Maybe she needs a rest."_ Rotom said with a smirk as he materialized in front of Serena. _"_ _It's okay, my legs are tired too."_

"Shut it," Serena panted.

 _"_ _Oh, wait, I'm sorry. I forgot that I don't have any."_

She was just about ready to kill Rotom, but Looker intervened. "Arceus, we don't have the time for this. Look, Serena, once we're inside, every rule you though you knew about battling is off. The faster we get to the control center, the more lives we save." He looked her and her Pokemon over and nodded. Releasing a Machop from a pokeball Serena hadn't realized he had, he pointed at the door and said "Go."

As the door crashed to the floor, four black clad grunts shot up and surprise and threw their pokeballs almost on instinct. A group of Mightyena appeared in the center of a narrow maintenance hallway, and a grunt yelled, "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

Serena frowned. _I don't want to hurt them, but... Look at what they did to Sanpei._ Steeling her resolve, she ordered, "Rotom, discharge."

 _"_ _Will do."_ The plasma Pokemon shot out a stunning wave of electricity, and the grunts and Mightyena all collapsed to the ground, paralyzed.

Looker gestured for her to move. "Come on, we have to get to the control room, and I don't know how to navigate this complex. Let's move!"

Serena nodded, and they disappeared deeper into the maze of technical rooms in the depths of the stadium.

 **Clemont's Perspective – Route 27**

Clemont cheered as Nidoqueen fell and Ash and Gary walked off the field. "Go Ash!"

Elle whistled. "I really had no idea that he had such strong Pokemon! I mean, looking only at his Kalos team, you would never know it."

Bonnie was gushing as Ash left the field. "Aw, Gliscor is such a cutiepie! I just want to squeeze him!" Instead, she hugged Dedenne, who squeaked in protest.

Clemont frowned. "You know, you're right. I wonder why Ash doesn't use any of his older Pokemon. He would have had both of his gym badges with ease if he had done so."

Elle shrugged. "I'm sure he has his reasons."

As the trio got up to get concessions, Bonnie tugged on Clemont's sleeve. "Hey, big brother, where do you think Serena went? She said that she would meet up with us during the match."

"Huh. I have no idea. Don't worry, I sure she would never miss Ash's final match of the tournament." Clemont smiled at his little sister reassuringly, and Bonnie smiled back at him. Internally, he was worried, however. _Bonnie's right, she's been gone for a while again. I hope she's all right._

He looked up as Elle placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. She leaned into whisper in his ear. "You're right, but there's nothing we can do to find her right now. Let's just make sure Bonnie thinks everything is fine. Serena is perfectly capable, and she can take fine care of herself."

Clemont nodded as they bought dinner and returned to their seats. They settled in to watch as the announcer came back on.

"And now, we return for the second half of the finals of this Tournament Extraordinaire!"

 **[A/N] I tried to make this realistic to the power levels of the characters. Gary hasn't battled as his main occupation since Johto, while Ash has been consistently improving since then. Heracross has no chance at living multiple flying type hits, so he went down. Otherwise, Pikachu and Charizard are both OP, and Gliscor can hold his own.**

 **Other than that, I think something like five different plotlines were set up in this chapter. Predictions, anyone?**

 **I have a new side project, a story called Ascendants. It's about the formation of the Pokemon league, and centers around Oak, Lance, Giovanni, and Charon. Click over to my profile to go check it out!**

 **That's really all I got. Twelve more reviews to 100! Can we get there by the end of this arc? Only you can decide that. Thanks for reading, review, and Pokefan87 signing out.**


	28. The Finals Extraordinaire! - Part Two

Chapter 28 – The Finals Extraordinaire! - Part Two

 **[A/N] With the 28th chapter of Serena's sister, this story now has more than 100,000 words. I can't thank all of you enough for you support. Here's to 100,000 more!**

 **This chapter easily contains the most epic battles of the fanfic so far, and I think it came out pretty well. As of right now, this is about the limit of how well I can write battles. After an entire tournament arc (almost), how did I do? What can I improve? Your feedback will help me improve, although we won't have battles of this scale until the Shalour gym battle.**

 **Now, for the reviews:**

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – I agree that amour should travel to Alola, but I don't think Sun and Moon will be canceled. The new art doesn't look THAT bad, and there have been far worse series of less popular franchises. At least he can't lose the Pokemon league this time around.**_

 _ **Quagsire12 – Thanks! I thought so too.**_

 _ **Guest98101 – Thank you for reviewing again. Your criticism is perfect: constructive, not overdone, and on point. Elle has kind of faded to the background. I do have plans for developing her much further, but it's on me that I haven't spread it out over the past eighteen chapters rather than jamming it all into what will be a single 5-6 chapter arc. That's on me, and I'm working towards a point where I'm developing her. Unfortunately, the same can't really be said for Bonnie and Clemont, although I have an idea or two. I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't forgotten about either character, and thank you for such a good review.**_

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

Ash smiled as he walked back onto the field. The fifteen minute break was over, and it was time to continue his battle with Gary. He nodded at Gary, who was standing on the other side of the field. Gary looked confident, doubts from the first half either buried or gone completely. The two competitors looked to the ref for further instructions, and the man stepped forwards.

"We will now recommence the battle in its second half! Ash Ketchum currently leads Gary Oak, 5-3. As a result, Ash will release his Pokemon before Gary. Additionally, Ash will not be allowed to substitute until he has beaten one of Gary's Pokemon."

Ash's eyes widened. _No substitutions? Damn, that's tough. I guess I'll just keep going with my game plan._ He picked a pokeball from his belt and threw it. "Floatzel, I choose you!" The sea weasel Pokemon appeared on the battlefield in a flash, still pumped up from his evolution the day before. He turned back and nodded to Ash, inflating his floatation sac for maximum effect.

"And Ash has gone with Floatzel! After an absolute curb stomp of a battle and an evolution earlier in the tournament, I think we all know how much of a threat this Pokemon can be. How will Gary counter this threat?"

Gary grinned. "Perfect." His hand immediately flew to a pokeball, and he launched it onto the battlefield. "Electivire, I choose you!" The thunderbolt Pokemon appeared with a massive roar, stomping the ground as sparks flew from its feelers.

Pikachu, who was at Ash's side, hissed as he flattened his ear. Ash narrowed his eyes at the Pokemon. "I know you want revenge, Pikachu. We have to let Floatzel take it." Pikachu sighed and nodded, and Ash turned back to the battlefield.

"Battle, begin!"

Ash wasted no time calling a command. "Ice aqua jet!"

"Chain protect and discharge."

Floatzel took off towards Electivire at top speed. Enveloping himself in a shroud of water, he thrust his fist forwards as it glowed white. The entire aqua jet froze over as Electivire hastily threw up a glowing shield, and the attack crashed against it. Electivire roared, and the shield exploded into an outpouring of electricity, sending Floatzel flying backwards. Ash's Pokemon crashed into the ground in a cloud of dust as Electivire posed triumphantly.

Ash gritted his teeth as Floatzel struggled to his feet. "Alright, use surf and dig!" Floatzel created and launched a wall of water at Electivire as he disappeared underground.

"Earthquake and electric terrain!" Electivire stomped the ground, sending out a shock wave that ruptured the field, sending Floatzel flying into the air. At the same time, the thunderbolt Pokemon buried his tendrils into the ground, sending a massive pulse of electricity into the field that left the entire stadium energized. The field took on a strange yellow glow, and electricity crackled against Floatzel's skin as he landed hard, again.

Ash felt only respect of his Pokemon as he struggled to his feet once again. He called over, "Floatzel, do you want to keep on battling?" The Sea Weasel nodded, and Ash gritted his teeth. _Even if I do get close enough to attack, Electivire can just protect. I need to find away around it.  
Charizard was just able to pick up the entire protect, but Floatzel just isn't that powerful. Maybe… Wait, that's it! _"Floatzel, you've got to trust me on this one! Use aqua jet!"

Gary narrowed his eyes. "Protect and discharge."

As Floatzel sped towards Gary, the shield sprang to life once again. Ash waited for what seemed like the last second possible, then shouted, "Dig, then Surf!"

Just as Electivire released the discharge, Floatzel tunneled into the ground at Electivire's feet. Gary smirked. "Earthquake."

Just as Electivire stomped the ground, the ground beneath him liquified. Rather that causing an earthquake, the electric type sank deep into a puddle of mud, cutting him off from electric terrain and grounding him. Ash grinned victoriously. "Now use ice punch."

Floatzel sank an icy fist into the muddy ground and sent a wave of cold through the ground, solidifying the mud to permafrost. He sprang back as Electivire roared and Gary screamed, "What? Thaw it with fire punch!"

Ash knew that he and Floatzel didn't have much time to act. "Use sonic boom repeatedly until he thaws!"

The crowd and announcer went crazy seeing what Floatzel had done to Electivire. "Incredible! At a type disadvantage, Floatzel has not only survived, but is now taking free shots at a trapped Electivire!"

Floatzel scored six direct hits with sonic boom before Electivire freed himself from his muddy trap. Gary looked furious. "That's it. Thunder." The direct hit from the powered up bolt of lightning was more than enough to cause Floatzel to faint.

Ash returned Floatzel with a smile. "Good job, I know you did the best that you could." He looked down to Pikachu, whose cheeks were sparking with excited electricity. "Buddy, are you ready to win this battle?"

"Pika!" Pikachu sprang onto the battlefield, and Electivire sneered down at him. Ash grinned. It had been three years since their last match up, and Electivire had won. He could nearly feel Pikachu's desire to win.

"Awesome, then use volt tackle!"

Gary sneered confidently. "Still such a kid, aren't you, Ashy boy? Let him hit you." Pikachu sprinted towards Electivire as electricity enveloped his tiny body. The much larger electric type just stood there, preparing to take the hit.

Ash, however, had other plans. "Iron tail, now!" Pikachu's electricity instantly faded and his tail glowed steely, and he hit Electivire with the force of a pickup truck as iron tail slammed into the thunderbolt Pokemon's midsection. Electivire was lifted off of the ground and driven backwards, and Pikachu landed on the ground victoriously.

Gary growled. "Electivire, use earthquake."

"Chain quick attack and agility, then springboard and use iron tail!"

Electivire slammed the ground, creating a shock wave that overturned the earth. Pikachu shot forwards towards Electivire. When the shock wave reached him, he used its force to propel himself upwards with iron tail, then came down on Electivire's head with his tail, sending the Pokemon to the ground again.

Gary shook his head. "Electivire won't go down so easily. Hyper beam!"

"Disperse it with counter shield." Electivire's super powerful attack shot forwards only to be drawn into a web of electricity that redirected it upwards into the sky. Now thoroughly exhausted, Electivire had to rest for a moment, giving Ash and Pikachu an opening. "Now, use iron tail repeatedly!"

In a flash, Pikachu was above Electivire, slamming his glowing tail down again and again. The thunderbolt Pokemon was unable to respond, so he took the punishment over and over again until he was unable to continue and fainted. Pikachu sent a victorious thunderbolt into the air as Electivire collapsed with swirls in his eyes, and scampered back over to Ash.

"Gary's second Pokemon to lose to Ash's Pikachu goes down, and Pikachu takes no damage again! Can Gary come back from this 4-2 deficit?"

Gary gritted his teeth. "Ugh, Ash, you're too good at battling." He grabbed his second to last pokeball and threw it. "Alakazam, time to roll."

Ash frowned as the Psi Pokemon appeared. _This could be a problem._ Running over his remaining Pokemon in his head, he decided to go with his best option. "Gliscor, go!" The Fang Scorpion Pokemon reappeared on the battlefield for the second time that battle, enthusiastically calling out to his trainer. The light purple glow of poison still seemed to cling to his skin, making him seem almost otherworldly. _If I'm going to win this battle, I'm not taking any chances._

Gary pointed and yelled, "Alright, let's start this off with future sight!"

Ash smiled victoriously, knowing that Gary had already given him an opening that he could exploit. "Toxic." Alakazam spread his arms out wide, and his spoons and eyes glowed as several otherworldly portals opened above his head. Looking up, he shot two intensely powerful blasts of psychic energy into the portals just as the poison hit him. Rearing back, Alakazam screeched in pain, a noise that filled the stadium.

Gary growled. "Damn you, Ash. That's a dirty trick."

Ash shrugged. "You did it with Nidoqueen. I don't see the difference. Use knock off on his spoons!"

"Teleport, then chain psychic and psycho cut!" Gliscor spread his wings and bounced towards Alakazam, as his tail seemed to be shrouded in darkness. Just as he was about to hit Alakazam, the Psi Pokemon teleported behind him and launched a blast of psychic power at him.

"Whip your tail around!" Alakazam's eyes glowed as he used his psychic power to propel the blast forwards at inhuman speeds. Gliscor flipped over in midair and sliced through the blast with his tail. The darkness mostly neutralized the power as it slammed into him, sending him spiraling into the ground. The bat slid as he hit the ground, talons gouging the earth as he stopped his slide. All the damage he had taken was neutralized by the poison, which healed him as soon as he touched down.

"Psychic on the battlefield," Gary called. Alakazam held his spoons up, and mental tore chunks of earth out of the ground, flinging them at Gliscor.

"Earthquake, then glide into knock off!" Gliscor slammed the ground, then sprang into the air as the battlefield shattered beneath him. Alakazam, unable to dodge while using psychic, took the brute force off the powerful attack head on, crying out in pain as the earth slammed into his side. At the same moment, Gliscor punched through the chunks of levitated earth, then flipped over and brought his tail down on Alakazam's head.

Alakazam staggered backwards, dropping his spoons in the process. Gliscor grinned as he picked them up, then flew back to Ash and deposited the spoons at his feet. Ash, not wanting to waste the opportunity, commanded, "Use swords dance!"

Gary groaned as Alakazam fell to his knees as poison bubbled around him. "Recover, then calm mind." As Gliscor madly danced around in a circle, Alakazam sat down and crossed his legs as a bizarre purplish-green aura filled the air around him. As his wounds slowly disappeared, his eyes snapped open, filled with an absolute fury at having been put at such a disadvantage. Gliscor, meanwhile, stared at his opponent with a signature goofy grin plastered on his face.

Ash looked carefully at the psychic type that had slowly gotten to its feet. _Alakazam is hard enough to deal with on his own. A powered up and angry Alakazam? We're going to have to be extra careful._ He nodded as he finalized his plan, then looked to his own Pokemon. "Alright, let's use dig." Gliscor nodded, and dove into the ground.

Gary seemed to be just as riled up as Alakazam. "Rip the entire field off with Psychic." Alakazam nodded, and brought his hands together as the entire field began to glow and lift into the air.

"Counter shield now!" Gary's eyes widened in shock as a wall of dark energy sprang up around Alakazam. The rest of the field collapsed back to earth with a massive boom as Alakazam lost connection to the rest of the battlefield.

"Get out of there!" Gary shouted, but it was already too late.

"Dig and knock off!" The dark pulse counter shield dissipated as Gliscor, who had been in the earth underneath Alakazam, slammed his tail directly into the Psi Pokemon's chest. Gary's Pokemon went flying away from Gliscor, but stopped itself from hitting the ground with Psychic.

Gary smirked. "We don't go down that easy, now do we? Recover and calm mind."

"Not this time. Dark pulse!" Gliscor shot off a beam of dark energy at Alakazam. Before it could reach him, though, the calm mind took effect, and Alakazam instinctively threw up a protect. Ash groaned. "Swords dance!" Gliscor did his dance once again, and when he was finished, seemed more pumped to battle than ever.

At this point, Alakazam was expelling waves of psychic energy that seemed to shake the foundations of the stadium. "Psychic him into the ground." Gliscor's eyes widened as he lost control of his body and rose into the air.

Ash yelled, "Minimize the damage by using knock off on the ground when he tries ram you into it, then dark pulse!" Gliscor shot towards the ground at terrifying speeds as Alakazam focused on him. His tail glowed black and lost its psychic glow, and just as he was about to hit the ground, he used his tail to stop most of the impact. The same thing happened over and over again as Alakazam tried to pulverize Ash's Pokemon to a pulp.

Gliscor concentrated as he flew through the air, and darkness collected itself into his mouth. Narrowing in on Alakazam, he fired a dark pulse at the Pokemon, who was immobile due to the psychic. The pulse slammed into Alakazam, driving him backwards and dropping Gliscor to the ground. Seeing an opportunity, he sprang across the battlefield, bringing his tail down on top of Alakazam.

"Protect!" Alakazam threw up a rainbow barrier just in time, as Gliscor's tail bounced off of it and into the air.

Ash, in the heat of the battle, grabbed his hat and turned it backwards on his head. "Hit it over and over until it shatters!" Gliscor nodded, and slammed his tail down again and again as Alakazam visibly strained under the added pressure. Flipping over to give himself added momentum, Gliscor hit the protect one final time as it broke, hitting Alakazam dead on in the head and dropping the Pokemon to the ground.

For a brief moment, it seemed as if Alakazam would struggle back to his feet to continue fighting. As he shakily got to his feet, however, poison bubbled across his skin and he collapsed in a dead faint.

Ash was barely able to register his victory before Gary switched Pokemon. "Hydro cannon!" he roared as Blastoise appeared in a flash, both of his cannons primed to fired. Gliscor screeched as the hyper pressurized blasts of water slammed into him, sending him flying backwards into the wall in an instant KO.

"Wow, what a turn of events! Right as Gary's Alakazam went down, a quick switch into his final Pokemon Blastoise has taken Gliscor down as well! What will this surprise turn of events mean for Ash as he contends with Gary's final Pokemon?"

Ash sighed as he recalled Gliscor. "You did a good job. I suppose we probably deserved that for what Pikachu did earlier."

Gary smirked as he and Blastoise stood at the opposite end of the now utterly decimated field. "So Ash, Blastoise and I have gotten way stronger than we used to be! How are you going to deal with us this time?"

Ash smiled as he unclasped a pokeball. "I think an old friend would love to have a rematch. Go, Charizard!"

 **Diantha's Perspective – Route 27**

Diantha could feel Gardevoir's absolute fury as she stared down the villains. "Go for the Beheeyem. Shadow ball repeatedly."

Celosia waved a hand. "Oh, we won't go down that easily. Counter with Dark Pulse. Drapion, Cross Poison. Manectric, use Thunderbolt."

Gardevoir formed several balls of ghostly energy in her hands and launched them at Beheeyem. The Cerebral Pokemon countered with dark pulse, throwing up clouds of smoke as the attack slammed through the shadow balls. Diantha nodded, and Gardevoir began to brilliantly glow, sending a pulse of fairy energy out that vaporized the dark pulse and sent Drapion flying backwards into the wall. He eyes glowed purple, and the brilliant bolt of electricity that Manectric had shot stopped feet short of Goodra and shot directly into the Crobat, who slammed backwards into the wall, knocked out.

Diantha's eyes flared as she stared down Proton. "This is my region! You think you can beat me? I am the Kalos Champion!"

Proton sneered. "Oh really? Not for long after this. How long do you think you'll stay champion after news get out that a criminal organization destroyed the second biggest tournament in Kalos under your nose? We don't even need to win this battle. We just need to stall you. Sludge Bomb!"

Weezing expelled a mass of rancid poison straight at Gardevoir. "Klefki, take the attack, then use Psychic!" The steel keyring floated in front of the attack, and was unaffected as poison washed over its body. The pattern on its chest began to glow, and Weezing was slammed over and over into the wall until it too collapsed into a faint.

Celosia grinned wolfishly as Proton returned both of his Pokemon. "Manectric, use wild charge on Goodra. Drapion, use cross poison. Beheeyem, use Psychic to hold it still."

Manectric shot forwards at blistering speeds as Goodra began to glow, becoming immobile. "Bide!" Diantha desperately called as the full power electric attack slammed into the pseudo legendary, driving him back as he cried out in pain. Klefki darted in front of Goodra and took the full force of the poison, but the impact of the blow drove it backwards into Goodra. Diantha glared at the Drapion. "Moonblast! Unleash your power now!"

Gardevoir glowed as if illuminated by the stars as a massive sphere of fairy energy appeared between her hands. She shot it forwards just as Goodra unleashed a massive bide, and the combined force of the two attacks drove Drapion three feet into the thick concrete wall, knocked out.

Celosia sneered as she recalled her Pokemon. "You actually think you can stop us, don't you?"

Diantha gritted her teeth as she gave her next command. "Goodra, dragon pulse. Gardevoir, moonblast."

Pierre pointed at Manectric with a flourish. "Mirror shot, s'il vous plait!"

The three attacks sped towards Beheeyem, who threw up a protect when commanded by Celosia. The woman giggled nastily. "Really, for a champion, I would have expected more. Calm mind, then shadow ball."

A purple aura surrounded Beheeyem as the otherworldly Pokemon closed its eyes and started to meditate. Diantha saw an opening, and called, "Goodra, bide when it attacks. Gardevoir, Psychic the Manectric." As shadow balls collided with Goodra, he started to glow with a light red haze. Simultaneously, Manectric was flung into the wall by Gardevoir, and he sank to the floor, knocked out. Goodra launched back the energy and it slammed into Beheeyem's protect once again. This time, however, it was able to get through and smashed into the Pokemon.

The wonder room flickered and faded. However, it already seemed to be too late as a massive tremor shook the entire stadium. Gardevoir sent out a desperate mental SOS to Cynthia, and nodded to Diantha as she got a near instantaneous response.

Celosia smiled once again, this time triumphantly. "It's too late. The awakening has begun."

Diantha waved a hand. "Protect." A massive rainbow shield sprung up around Diantha, Pierre, Kathy, and their Pokemon. Suddenly, the wall facing the stadium exploded inwards as a massive Pokemon rammed through the metal. Celosia screamed as an avalanche of rubble washed over her and Proton, slamming them backwards into the wall.

Mega Garchomp rose from a crouch as the most powerful trainer in the world jumped off of his back. Cynthia brushed windswept hair out of her face as she walked over to Diantha. "You needed me?"

Diantha internally sighed in relief as she nodded. "Come on, we have a tournament to evacuate."

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

"Who designed this stupid stadium?" Serena grumbled as she and Looker turned down yet another corridor.

Rotom snickered. _"You honestly think that a secret base built by an evil organization hell bent on world domination would make their control center easy to get to?"_

Looker held up a hand as they came to a set of double doors. "Wait a second. The room inside here is dark. I think it might be some sort of gathering space. How should we proceed?"

Rotom pretended to act thoughtful. _"Well, let's see. I could use flash, or we could make Milady here flash. I'm sure that that would light up the room."_ After finishing his sentence, he buzzed as Serena slammed him into the wall.

"I swear to Arceus, I will feed your tiny little frame to the Mandibuzz if you don't shut your speakers," she hissed murderously.

 _"But how would you ever see what's in the next room?"_ Serena released her Pokemon, and it floated over to the door as Looker pressed his back against the wall. He stared at Serena with a gaze of utmost seriousness.

"Serena, I have no idea what to expect right now. This could easily be a trap. Remember that lives are on the line right now. We have to get to the control room as soon as possible, or else this tournament is doomed. Got it?"

Serena gulped and nodded, once again deciding she was in over her head. _No, I have to do this for Ash._

Looker smiled at her and nodded back. "On the count of three, close your eyes. One… Two… Three!" Serena could see the flash of light through her eyelids as the door to the room banged open. She opened her eyes and sprinted into the room after Looker.

The room was massive. It appeared to be some sort of auditorium, with a massive stage set up at the far end. Serena and Looker cautiously walked into the room as Rotom floated along behind. Serena gulped as her footsteps echoed around the wide room. She froze as Rotom buzzed, _"Get back now!"_

The Plasma Pokemon darted in front of Serena and threw up a protect as a burst of flames washed over Serena and Looker. Serena's eyes widened as J's Salamance came crashing down from the ceiling and landed in front of her with a massive thud. The Pseudo-legendary roared in fury as it spread its wings wide, intimidating presence filling the room. "Run and let the Pokemon handle it!" Looker yelled.

Serena and Fennekin made a dash for the stage as Rotom, Zorua, and Machop stood in between them and the raging dragon. Realizing that she had to command them, she shouted, "Rotom, Zorua, do something!"

Rotom groaned as he shot a massive electro ball at Salamance, who deftly dodged the attack. _"Couldn't you at least pretend like you know what you're doing?"_ The ball of electricity exploded as it hit Salamance, and the Dragon Pokemon spun around to counter with a massive dragon pulse. Rotom turned invisible, and the pulse exploded into the wall, leaving a huge smoking crater. As he reappeared behind Salamance, he let loose a discharge as Salamance's tail slammed into his frame with a green glow, sending him spinning through the air. _"I would appreciate some help out here!"_

Zorua scowled at J's Pokemon with a deep scorn. Glowing brightly, she took on the illusion of Xerneas and charged towards the pseudo. Taken aback with fear at the sight of the fairy type, Salamance flinched as Zorua slammed a powerful night daze into his side. Instantly correcting himself, the dragon glowed with the power of outrage and charged head on into Zorua, slamming the tricky fox Pokemon backwards into the wall. Rotom hit it with another blast of electricity, and he spun around to counter with another flamethrower, which Rotom deftly dodged.

Looker frowned at the battle scene below him. "Machop, dual chop then ice punch!" Machop sprang into the air over the distracted dragon type and kicked him twice in the back as his feet glowed green. As Salamance brought his head around to counter, Machop slammed his icy fist directly into the dragon's face, sending him rearing backwards in pain. Rotom and Zorua, who was now in the form of a Haxorus, slammed shadow balls into Salamance on both sides, making him roar in pain.

Serena watched the exchange in awe. _They're fighting it! I wish I could help, but I just don't know how I can. I have no idea what moves Rotom and Zorua know, and Fennekin would be killed by that thing. The only thing I can do is watch._ She cradled Fennekin in her arms, who was angrily watching the battle with worry. Smiling down at her Pokemon, Serena said, "I know you want to fight it, but you would get hurt. We need to let Rotom and Zorua deal with it."

Salamance glared at the three Pokemon surrounding him before starting his counter attack. He reared back on his hind legs, then brought them down on the floor of the room. In a circle around the dragon, ten massive stones shot out of the ground, knocking the Pokemon back as the ground started to rumble with Salamance's earthquake. Rotom was able to avoid the brunt of the damage, but Zorua and Machop both took the attacks head on, knocking the fighting type out. Salamance then glowed a light blue color, reversing all of the damage that he had taken so far.

Looker's eyes widened, and he pulled out a second pokeball as he returned Machop. "Spinirak, use disable!" The pokeball opened with a flash to reveal a tiny green spider who's eyes glowed as he appeared. A purple aura appeared around Salamance, and the blue glow faded as the dragon stopped healing.

Serena looked at Looker pointedly. "I didn't know you had a Spinirak!"

Looker shrugged. "He's too small to do much of anything, but he knows sticky web and disable, so I keep him around."

The assault on Salamance continued once again in earnest as Serena hunkered down on the stage. This time, Zorua and Rotom were more cautious as they approached the dragon. Rotom immediately started off by shooting a weak thunder wave at Salamance followed by a shadow ball. As the weak electrical pulse sank under the dragon's skin, he screeched as electricity coursed down the length of his wings. Unable to turn around fast enough to counter, Salamance instead opted to fire a dragon pulse at Zorua, who seemed to vanish as she used an illusion to evade the attack.

The tricky fox Pokemon shifted into a Caterpie as Rotom launched a thunderbolt that was countered with a flamethrower. She sneaked under Salamance's belly and slammed the sensitive spot with an intense foul play attack that caused Salamance to lurch backwards. However, she was unable to get out of the way as the dragon used Outrage, sending her flying into the wall with a painful crash as Rotom blasted Salamance with another discharge.

Zorua barked something incomprehensible to Serena across the battlefield, and Rotom vanished and reappeared with a protect in front of Zorua just as she closed her eyes in a deep sleep as she used rest. Salamance whipped around and came down on top of the protect with a dragon tail before bouncing off and firing a blistering flamethrower in a futile effort to break the barrier. Rotom shot a tiny jolt of electricity into Zorua, and the dark type shot up into wakefulness with her health completely restored.

Meanwhile, the combined effects of the attacks and the paralysis seemed to have started to take their toll on Salamance. Zorua took on Salamance head on with a night daze that left the dragon staggering back as Rotom brought a thunder down on his back. Salamance roared, and his entire body glowed a bright red before expelling a massive heat wave out from his body. Rotom floated in front of Serena and Looker to shield them from the overwhelming heat. Zorua took the heat straight on, crashing into Salamance with the combined power of night daze and fowl play that caused the dragon to collapse to his knees. With one final effort, Rotom and Zorua combined shadow ball and discharge to bring the dragon type crashing to the ground in a dead faint.

Serena stared at the downed body of the dragon. _How did they manage to take it down? I should have been the one calling those commands._

Rotom floated over to Serena, frame battered and chipped, and smirked. _"Okay, chief, what's next? Whatever it is, I'm just positive that you'll do a fabulous job in commanding us as always."_

For once, Serena couldn't find it within herself to be angry at the sadistic Pokemon. With a light smile, she playfully said, "Oh, shut up." Zorua shook herself off, then rubbed up against Serena's leg as she stood up to look at her companion.

Looker frowned at Salamance. "We lost too much time from this battle. We have to get to the control room immediately."

Serena nodded, and the group took off once again. After exiting the massive room, it turned out to only be two short hallways and a flight of stairs to reach the control room. Looker barged in, much to the surprise of the grunts sitting at the wide screen monitors at the desk. A quick jolt from Rotom later, and Serena and Looker were sitting at the desk of the tournament control room.

Rotom stared at the computer as it came to rest in Serena's hands. _"I'm going to hack the system and tie all of the speakers and screens to the mic in front of you. After that, it's all up to you."_

Fennekin and Zorua both jumped up onto the console to look at the screen along with Serena. Rotom buzzed as it left its Dex, then disappeared into the computer system, briefly popping up as a digital image on Serena's screen. The computer buzzed as the mainframe sparked, then Rotom sent a message onto the screen of the computer. "The mic is all hooked up. This is up to you now."

Serena nodded and took a deep breath as she clenched the mic with both hands. _Ash. Please be safe._ Collecting herself, she started to speak.

"All citizens in attendance at the Tournament Extraordinaire..."

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

Blastoise tensed as the flame Pokemon burst onto the battlefield with a roar. Ash smiled excitedly as he stared at the battlefield in front of him. "Just like old times, huh, Gary?"

Gary nodded, and Ash could see the passion and excitement in his eyes as Gary called over, "Right, just like old times."

The ref raised his hands into the air as the two Pokemon readied themselves to start the battle. "The final match between Charizard and Blastoise may now begin!"

"Fake out!"

"Protect!"

Charizard threw up a rainbow colored shield as Blastoise moved so fast it was as if he had vanished. He reappeared behind Charizard and hit the protect with such force that both he and Charizard were driven backwards. The protect faded as Gary called, "Use rapid spin and chain with aqua ring!"

"Knock it away with dragon tail, then use earthquake followed by sunny day!" Ash commanded. _I'm not taking any chances with this battle. Charizard will win, just like the Johto league._

Blastoise skidded away from where the protect had been and used his momentum to flip onto his back and propel himself forwards with a light stream of protective water that coated his body. He spun towards Charizard at high speeds, but right as he was about to hit the fire type, Charizard swung around and slammed into the turtle with his green glowing tail. As Blastoise flipped back over and hit the ground hard, Charizard took to the air before slamming the ground with his fist, sending a rippling shock wave that shook the foundations of the battlefield. It rammed into Blastoise with full force and smashed him further back towards Gary in a wave of roiling dirt.

Charizard spread his wings wide and howled at the sky. The sun, already present, seemed to take on a new intensity as spectators had cover their eyes to see onto the stadium. Blastoise, who had looked fairly beat up after sustaining the damage from the attacks, glowed green as the aqua ring restored all of his lost health.

Gary grinned. "Looks like we're going to have to take things to the next level!"

Ash frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gary reached under his shirt and picked up a necklace that had half of a pokeball hanging from it. Ash's eyes widened in recognition. _That's the other half of the one I have! He keeps it with him also._ Holding it up above his head, he called, "Remember this? This pokeball is our rivalry, our friendship, and our bond!" Flipping it around so that the inside was visible, Ash gasped as a mega keystone sparkled under the glare of the intense sunlight. Gary pressed his fingers to the stone and yelled, "Blastoise, Mega evolve!"

The shellfish Pokemon erupted with brilliant light as four rays shot out from a mega stone attached to on of his launchers. Blastoise roared as his form began to change. He grew larger and seemed to stoop downwards as his shell expanded to epic proportions. His two cannons merged with his arms as a third spouted behind his head in a manner that was reminiscent of a tank. The transformation finished with the flash of the Mega Evolution symbol, and Gary nodded as Mega Blastoise took a step forwards on the battlefield.

Ash looked over at Charizard. "Hey, we may have beaten him before, but this is no time to underestimate Blastoise. Let's play this smart, okay?" Charizard nodded with a snort of fire. "Great, then let's chain fly and flamethrower!"

"Hydro pump!"

Charizard shot into the air and shot towards Blastoise. As he did so, a powered up flamethrower shot from his jaws towards Blastoise. As he got closed, Blastoise aimed all of his cannons at Charizard and fired three hyperpressurized blasts of water at the flame Pokemon.

"Chain giga impact and steel wing while spinning," Ash called. As one of the blasts of water vaporized the flame thrower on contact, Charizard picked up speed and force as he spun. Steely wings met blasts of water and sliced neatly through them, causing droplets to shower down behind him. He slammed into Blastoise at full force, sending the bulky Pokemon backwards on the battlefield.

"Dragon pulse while he's close!" Gary called, and Blastoise drew together a blast of draconian energy and fired. Charizard, who was flying away was unaware as the energy snaked around behind Blastoise and found him anyways, exploding around him and sending him flying towards the ground.

"Use your momentum to chain blast burn and earthquake, then use roost while Blastoise is occupied!" Charizard drew in his wings as he fell towards the field and struck the ground as he straightened out at the last second possible. The earth seemed to literally explode into plumes of lava and dirt as Blastoise was caught up in the middle of it. Charizard glowed light blue as he healed himself, and flew high above the carnage that he had created below.

Gary desperately called out a command as the destruction overtook Blastoise. "Use surf to try and limit the impact!" Blastoise tried to create a wall of water to stop the encroaching attack, but the head of the earth overpowered his attack and he was swept under. He resurfaced looking much worse for wear, and his aqua ring had been vaporized. Despite that, Gary instantly saw what was coming. "Protect!"

"Seismic toss!" Charizard, who had flown right behind Blastoise, grasped the now fully formed protect and lifted it high into the air. He flew high into the sky before reversing his direction and plummeting back down to earth.

Gary smirked. "Hydro cannon then rapid spin, now!" Charizard was unaware when Blastoise's protect shattered, and the shellfish Pokemon shot three blasts of water directly into Charizard's chest, sending the Pokemon spiraling apart. Blastoise began to spin in midair, landing in a way that seemed to partially minimize the damage.

Ash's eyes widened as Charizard plummeted towards the field. "Quick, spread your wings and use roost!" For the second time that battle, Charizard healed himself with the light blue glow of roost as he straightened himself out. Swooping down towards the earth, he shot back towards the still recovering Blastoise as Ash yelled, "Use dragon claw, steel wing, and dragon tail as you pass!" Charizard's limbs and wings all started to glow, and as he passed Blastoise, he raked the side of the turtle's arm with claw, wing and tail, knocking Blastoise to the side.

Gary and Ash looked at each other, and both knew that they were thinking the same thing; this move ends everything.

"Blast Burn!"

"Hydro Cannon!"

Charizard slammed the ground and Blastoise fired off his cannons as both Pokemon used the strongest moves they knew. Superheated and exploding earth hit Blastoise as the watery cannon blasts struck Charizard. Dust flew up over the battlefield, and Ash covered his face. When the dust cleared, Blastoise and Charizard both seemed to be on their last legs. However, it was Blastoise who swayed and fell over first.

It took a second for Ash to realize it. _I did it! I won the Tournament Extraordinaire!_

He ran up to hug Charizard as the crowds roared in congratulations. However, it only took a moment for Ash to realize that something was horribly wrong. The announcer never came on to announce his victory. All at once, the lights and stadium scoreboard went dark as Gary ran over to where Ash stood on the battlefield.

That was when all hell broke loose.

Like a bullet, a sound that seemed akin to a missile or fighter jet filled the air. A blue blur sped across the field and slammed into the champion's box, shattering the window and wall and sending rubble crashing inwards. Ash and Gary both gasped and yelled in surprise, but it was dwarfed as a very familiar voice came across the loudspeakers.

"All citizens in attendance at the Tournament Extraordinaire, please evacuate the stadium immediately. Unless you are in possession of a ride-able flying type, get out of the stadium as fast and orderly as possible. This is not a drill. Repeating, evacuate this stadium imme-"

Serena's voice was cut off from the loudspeaker as the stadium began to rumble under Ash's feet. In a split second decision that saved his and Gary's life, the two boys got onto Charizard and took to the air.

Then the ground split asunder, and the entire stadium knew that Kalos would never be the same.

 **[A/N] Cliffhanger!**

 **Next time, this nine chapter arc finally comes to a climax and conclusion. What is the Syndicate planning? Can our heroes, along Diantha and Cynthia, stop this mysterious threat? This and more, next time!**

 **Remember to follow, favorite, and leave a review! Pokefan87, signing out.**


	29. The Darkness Awakens

Chapter 29 – The Darkness Awakens

 **[A/N] Arceus.**

 **I honestly just don't even know what to say about this chapter. Forget chapters, this is one of the longest pieces of _writing_ that I have ever done. 9,000 words is just absurdity for me, and this chapter has so much content in it that it makes my head burst. Honestly, there's not much else I can say.**

 **I have some stuff to say, but almost all of it is spoilers, so I'm putting it at the bottom. Now, for the reviews.**

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – Thanks for the support. Erin is in this chapter, and hopefully this update satisfies you.**_

 _ **MiraculousInfinityZie - :D Thank you so much!**_

 _ **Skitty4 – Thanks for the support!**_

 **Finally, before we begin, I feel like I need to put a warning here. This chapter absolutely deserves the T rating. There is some graphic violence, and a lot of people die. Warnings aside, I really hope that you enjoy, and review at the bottom of the screen.**

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

Ash gulped as a mass panic ran through the stadium. _Evacuate? Why is Serena on the intercom?_ Charizard spiraled up into the air carrying Pikachu, Ash and Gary as the stadium began to fracture beneath them. Thousands of flashes rose into the air as panicked trainers trainers released flying types to desperately try to get away. Others made a mad dash for the main walkway only to find that their path was blocked as tournament staff across the stadium tore off disguises to reveal black clothing. His eyes widened in recognition as he saw the figures. "Those are J's men!"

Gary poked Ash as the ground rumbled even more. "We have to get to Elle, Clemont, and Bonnie! If J is here, nobody is safe!"

Ash nodded, and he wildly scanned the stadium for any sign of his friends. Pikachu bristled on his shoulder as sparks flew from his cheeks. Dedenne's response sparked back, and the electric mouse said something to Charizard. The flame Pokemon nodded, and tucked his wings in as he went into a spiraling nose dive towards the stands.

Behind Ash, two Pokemon flew out of the wreckage of the VIP box. Gardevoir glowed with a brilliant psychic light as she exerted the limits of her power. As a flock of humans and Pokemon fled the stadium by the air, a fourth of the people remaining were lifted into the air by a massive psychic and were lifted high into the air and deposited outside of the stadium.

As Charizard rocketed towards the stands, Ash screamed, "Everybody use protect now!" Charizard flipped over just as he was about to collide right where Clemont, Bonnie, and Elle were all sitting and mustered the largest protect he possibly could to cover fifty people in Ash's immediate vicinity. The two Pokemon in the air did the same, touching down and each summoning their own protects.

The stadium gave one final rumble, then the entire battlefield exploded. Intense power blew outwards from the field in all directions as a second detonation with the force of a missile added to the blast. Even through the protect, Ash could feel the power of the blow, sending him skidding backwards down Charizard's back into Gary. White light flooded his vision, making it impossible to see as he felt Charizard straining beneath him. When the white light faded, Ash gaped at the scene of devastation that was what had been the stadium.

As twenty or so protects flickered out, the rest of the stadium was virtually gone. The battlefield was a pile of rubble at the bottom of a thirty foot crater. The stands and seating had been obliterated, heaps of molten plastic and metal. A massive cloud of dust obscured the air around him, and the air felt suffocating as it seeped around him. Ash felt his stomach twist as he stared around him in horror. _But- but how? What happened?_

Ash and Gary slid off of Charizard's back as Clemont, Bonnie, and Elle shakily got to their feet from the stands. In each of their faces, a matching stare of horror and despair filled their faces. Ash could see it mirrored on all of the faces of the people who he had saved, especially the ones closest to the edge of the protective bubble. Wordlessly, Ash reached to his belt and pulled off his remaining pokeball, releasing Sceptile into the carnage. The grass type's expression read utter shock as he stared around him, and he instinctively slid closer to Ash.

The silence in the stadium had been broken by Ash's Pokemon, and now every trainer still alive in the stadium released their Pokemon in a massive flash. Charizard drew back his wings, and blew as much of the dust away as possible in three mighty flaps. As Pokemon filled the broken stadium and the survivors began to desperately flee, Ash turned back to the center, where his attention was immediately drawn to the black Pokemon who had emerged from the rubble of the battlefield.

"Zekrom," Ash whispered as he stared at the black Pokemon who slowly rose to its feet in the center of the battlefield.

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

The loudspeaker cut out as the entire stadium began to rumble with insane power. Serena and Looker shot each other a terrified glance. "Use protect, now!" Looker shouted as the electrical circuits around them all began to smoke and short circuit. For a moment, the world seemed to pause as Zorua and Rotom pooled their power form a protective shield around Serena and Looker. Fennekin huddled in Serena's arms as she held on to her tighter.

Then the stadium exploded.

Rotom and Zorua both visibly strained as they dug their feet into the ground beneath them. The entire world outside of the protect turned a bright white, blinding everyone inside. The explosion seemed to rock the entire stadium, and rubble cracked and slid off as it hit the protect. Serena covered her face with one hand to try and shield her eyes against the massive burst of energy. A second explosion sounded, and the force on the protect doubled before fading as the energy passed them by.

As Serena's vision returned, she looked around wildly as the protect faded. The entire control box was gone, revealing that they were on top of a massive pile of rubble at the edge of the stadium. Ash and dust rose up into the air, making her cough as she waved her hand in front of her face in a futile effort to clear the air. She pulled her shirt over her mouth and looked over to Looker, who seemed absolutely shell shocked.

 _I failed._

Standing on top of a pile of rubble and concrete, that was the only thing that she was absolutely sure of. She had fail to protect the tournament, the stadium, and Ash. She took a single step forwards and fell to her knees, and a single tear trickled down her face. A roar rocked the foundations of the stadium, and Rotom floated down to be face to face with her.

For once, the Pokemon's expression seemed to be serious. _"_ _Look, Princess. I know what you're thinking. You're not the only failure here. We're doing damage control now. The Syndicate obviously awakened the legendary. That means J is around here somewhere. We have to find her and stop her."_

Serena tried to take a deep breath, but the ash seemed to be suffocating. With burning lungs, she coughed out, "But I'm useless. Having me around would only slow you down."

Looker, who had his arm over his mouth, had dug out his pokeball and released his Spinirak again. The spider Pokemon crawled over to Serena, Fennekin, and Zorua, and shot a bit of web over each of their mouths in turn. Serena drew in breath to protest, then was surprised to find that the web filtered out the dust. The man shook his head. "People had about a minute of warning. I would hope that some people were able to get away. Your escape is the only reason they had that much time to do so. We need to save the survivors. If J gets to them, there's no telling what she would do."

Serena's eyes burned from a combination of dust and tears. She was so utterly horrified and terrified that it had a numbing effect, pumping her full of adrenaline. "You're right. But where do we look?"

Rotom buzzed as an internal scanner in his system turned on. _"The legendary currently in the stadium is a Zekrom. J wants to wreak havoc as far away from it as possible. My guess is that she'll be attacking the survivors who are fleeing. We have to move away from the stadium, now."_

With a dead feeling inside, Serena nodded. She and Looker turned around, away from the cloaked interior of the stadium, and started to descend the massive pile of rubble and carnage. Zorua and Fennekin leaped onto her shoulders as her feet touched down on blasted earth covered in ruin. Looker gestured for her to follow, and the two of them started to run away from the stadium through the ash.

Serena looked at Rotom. "Can you scan for any human activity?"

The Pokedex beeped affirmatively, and its surface showed a map of the area with a number of red dots on it. There was a cluster of ten or so nearby, and Serena and Looker took off towards them. The dust seemed to take on a ghostly quality as the dying sun poured through it, and it shifted as Serena nearly tripped over the first body.

Of the first group they had found, five had died in the initial blast. Serena felt sick as she stared at the blasted and mangled bodies lying on the ground. Three were still alive, and Looker had Spinirak apply protective masks to their faces and told them to run. The three men did so, unsteadily making their way to their feet now that they could breathe properly and running away from the stadium.

Looker looked at Serena and Rotom. "This dust can't be breathed in for too long. People will start to asphyxiate the longer we wait." Serena nodded as a dull sense of urgency filled her, and they went to work as fast as they could.

For the next five minutes, the duo found as many people as they could. Some were already dead, while others were struggling to breathe. Spinirak applied mask after mask as they desperately tried to save as many lives as possible. They came to a man who was struggling along with the help of a Blastoise, and Looker stopped to give them both masks.

"Thank you so much," the man said, gratefully falling to his knees. "We were just leaving the stadium when the announcement happened. Praise you, Arceus, for allowing me to live."

A light bulb went off in Serena's head as she stared at his Pokemon. "Sir, does your Blastoise know rain dance?" The man nodded, and Looker nodded at Serena in approval. "Have him use it now."

Blastoise tiredly nodded, and he reared his head back as he called out into the sky. The ash darkened as a torrential downpour started to fall from the sky. As rain brought the cloying dust down from above, the air began to clear up slightly, and Serena could start to make out the shapes of bodies lying on the ground. The dark outline of the ruined stadium loomed above them, and a massive bolt of lightning flashed inside of the stadium as a massive roar seemed to rock the world.

Serena looked up, letting the rain wash the soot out of her tired eyes. It was like a scene from a movie, a horror novel that would disappear once the main character woke up. The fact that it could be real, that the death could be real, seemed to weight down on her like a ton of bricks. _This isn't real, it can't be. Nothing in real life could possibly ever be this horrific._

 _And it's all my fault._

Rotom looked up as the sky, rain washing soot from his frame, as a legendary dragon bore down on them, with a sneering Hunter on its back. _"We've got company."_

 **Elle's Perspective – Route 27**

When the explosion detonated, Elle was still in shock. One second, she, Bonnie, and Clemont had been cheering for Ash as Gary's final Pokemon had fallen. The next, Ash had hurdled towards them and slammed into the stadium wall just as the entire stadium had gone up in flames. She honestly was unsure of why she was still alive, in that moment. The bright light had faded, but she still wasn't registering what had happened.

Dust obscured much of her vision until a powerful gust blew it away, and she could see Ash riding on Charizard's back. He wildly gesture at her and Clemont. "Don't you get it? That's a legendary! You have to run now!"

Elle shot a panicked glance at Clemont. _Is this really happening? What should we do?_

Clemont seemed equally lost, but he stood up and started to pick his way along the destroyed bleachers towards a gaping hole where there had once been the stadium wall. Bonnie followed along close behind him, as well as several others who had been saved by Ash's protect. Finally, it dawned on Elle as Ash and Charizard spiraled into the center of the destroyed stadium. _If I don't move right now, I'm going to die here._

She turned away and started to sprint after Clemont and Bonnie as Gary caught up to her. His eyes were wide, and he yelled, "Move now!"

Elle dashed across pieces of unstable rubble and the smoking metal remains of railings and seat. Her stomach twisted as she thought of all of the people who must have been caught up in the blow. She didn't have much time to dwell on it as a massive ground shaking roar spilled out from the stadium, and some primal instinct deep inside of her made her run even faster.

She hesitated as they came to the edge of the clear air that Charizard had created. Pulling out a pokeball, she yelled "Pokeball, go!" In a flash, her Swirlix appeared, and she commanded, "Use fairy wind!" The cotton candy Pokemon reared back and blew a massive wind of energy into the dust, and it partially cleared out enough for Elle to see through it as she plunged after Gary into the haze.

She was still running when her foot caught on a loose rock, sending her head over heels tumbling down the steep slope of rubble at the edge of the stadium. Her head hit against something hard, and her world span as she hit the ground painfully. Swirlix cried out in alarm as she swayed and leaned sideways against a rock. The world seemed to have turned to a hell scape, dust choking her as she feebly stared out into the haze.

Her Pokemon pressed the button on another one of her pokeballs, and Petlil appeared next to Elle. Her eyes widened as she saw her hurt trainer, and she glowed a bright green as she used aromatherapy. Elle's pain receded as her head stopped throbbing, and she was able to make her way to her feet and continue to struggle further away from the stadium.

After what seemed like an eternity, Elle staggered out of the dust flanked by her two Pokemon. Her breath was acrid as she took short ragged breaths, barely able to take in enough air to stay conscious. Mentally and physically exhausted, she felt numb as she inhaled a breath of fresh air and looked back behind her. The dust acted as a shroud for the looming icon of ruin behind her. The sky had darkened over the stadium, and rain had started to fall.

"Elle!" She turned around just as Gary ran up to her. His hair was gray, and he almost looked like his grandfather, in a morbid way. His eyes were wild as he stared at her. "When you didn't come out of there, I thought that something had happened to you! What happened?"

She blinked as she stared back at him. "I fell and hit my head. Petlil used aromatherapy, which gave me enough energy to keep going." Clemont and Bonnie came up beside Gary as Elle sat down on the ground, grateful to be alive. _This can't be happening._

Bonnie's gaze was vacant, and she seemed to have spaced out of reality. Clemont nervously looked back at the stadium. "Don't worry about your head. I have some first aid materials in my backpack here. I think we need to stay put until help comes." He reached into his heavy pack and withdrew a white box with a red cross on it. Flipping it open, he picked out a roll of bandages and adhesive gauze.

Gary's gaze was desolate. "There were 75,000 people at this tournament. How many did that blast kill?"

Clemont hung his head. "I don't know. I just hope that Ash and Serena are okay."

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

Charizard reared up into the sky as Ash yelled "Run!" to his already fleeing companions. _Please be safe,_ he thought as he watched them disappeared into the dust cloud.

A massive roar diverted his attention the center of the stadium. Sceptile and Pikachu held onto Charizard harder as Zekrom's massive eyes snapped open with a raging fury. He rose to his feet and looked at the scene of devastation surrounding him. As he stepped forwards, a wave of power shot out from underneath his feet, shaking the stadium with immense power.

The last time he had seen Zekrom had been in Unova, when they had stopped Reshiram and Damon, the revealed the dragon force. Since then, though, Ash had no idea how Zekrom could have possibly gotten to Kalos.

"Ash!" He looked up to see a Garchomp speeding towards him, then widened his eyes as he realized who was on his back.

"Cynthia? What on earth are you doing here?" The champion had long blond hair and a flowing black trench coat, and she had a wild expression on her face.

"No time to talk. Listen to me. If you get hit by Zekrom, you and your Pokemon will most likely die, especially in the enraged state that it's in right now. Do you understand me?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I've met Zekrom before! I can talk to it and help!"

Cynthia's eyes widened and she shook her head, but Ash was already flying directly towards the dragon type. Charizard landed in front of the massive black dragon, and he got off of the flame Pokemon's back and stepped in front of the massive legendary. "Zekrom! Remember me? It's Ash! We met in Unova."

Zekrom lowered his head so that one baleful eye was staring down the sixteen year old. Pikachu's cheeks sparked as the electrifying aura came into contact with his tiny body. _"_ _Yes. I remember you. Is it you who is responsible for my awakening?"_

Ash frowned and shook his head. "No. How could you do this to the stadium? You're the Pokemon of ideals, so how could you possibly do such a thing?"

Zekrom rumbled as he rose high up above the boy and spread his wings wide. _"_ _You have the audacity to question actions beyond my will."_ The dragon slowly spiraled up into the air. _"_ _There has been a shift in the world in the short while since I have last walked the earth. You are no longer the Chosen, Ash Ketchum."_

The low rumblings of the Pokemon rolled through the stadium, resonating deeply within the hearts of all who stood there. Ash took a step backwards as Zekrom's tail sparked to life, electricity crackling across its rings. "What do you mean?"

 _"_ _There are new forces playing through this world beyond the control of you or I. Ho-oh, envoy of Arceus, has selected the new chosen. Moreover, the Hero of Ideal is the one who wakes me from my slumber to fight for their beliefs. That person is not you, nor any of the human in this stadium, nor that bumbling fool outside on that Latios. My master will revolutionize this world, and that starts with the death of Ash Ketchum!"_

Ash turned tail and sprinted back towards Charizard as Zekrom started to charge up a massive blast of electricity. He jumped as high into the air as he possibly could, and Charizard swooped above him and grabbed him in his claws. Ash clawed his way onto Charizard's back just as he spiraled out of the way to avoid a massive bolt strike that slammed into the side of the stadium.

The calm seemed to be broken as Cynthia jumped into action. Garchomp swooped away and deposited her on the broken stands as she released all of the rest of her Pokemon. Charizard did the same, leaving Ash, Sceptile, and Pikachu on the walls of the stadium. Cynthia released a Togekiss, Milotic, Spiritomb, Lucario, and Roserade as she took a fighting stance towards the legendary.

On the far side of the stadium, a woman that Ash recognized as Diantha ran out onto the wall to gasp as she saw the massive Legendary. Alongside a Gardevoir that was already by her side, she released a group of four Pokemon that Ash didn't recognize, alongside a Hawlucha. A quick Pokedex scan revealed them to be a Tyrantrum, an Aurorus, a Goodra, and a Talonflame.

Ash looked his three Pokemon. _Arceus, I wish my entire team was still fresh. It's not like I have much of a choice, though._ Frowning as Zekrom let out a massive roar, he addressed him Pokemon. "Guys, Zekrom is insanely powerful. On top of that, none of you are idea for fighting him. Sceptile and Pikachu, I want you guys to stay next to me. Charizard, dragon pulse followed by dragon claw and dragon tail, then use protect and roost and come back. We need to play this smart, or else one of you will get seriously hurt."

Charizard nodded and shot towards Zekrom as Sceptile and Pikachu stepped forwards to guard their trainer. A massive purple blast of dragon energy launched from the fire type's mouth that was instantly countered by a powerful lightning bolt from the legendary. Charizard went into a nosedive as he grew within striking distance of Zekrom, lashing out at its pitch black hide with green claws and tail. Zekrom glowed a brilliant yellow and exploded with electricity in a powerful discharge as Charizard surrounded himself with a rainbow aura and glowed a light blue as he shot back to Ash.

By this time, Cynthia had calculated her strategy and launched a full out assault. "Garchomp, go straight in with dragon dance and outrage. Lucario, stay by me and use your aura to predict attacks and communicate. Spiritomb, use curse and spite, followed by nasty plot and dark pulse, then use pain split. Roserade, frenzy plant and leech seed, followed by synthesis and aromatherapy. Milotic, stay with me and protect me and Lucario. Togekiss, stay underneath and use psychic and heal pulse to support."

Her Pokemon nodded and sprang into action. Lucario and Milotic stayed back as Garchomp shot towards the legendary with a purple aura surrounding him. The mega evolved Pokemon slammed into his side wildly thrashing his limbs as Spiritomb floated above Zekrom and gave a massive screech. Zekrom glowed purple as well, countering outrage with outrage. As both Pokemon took damage, Garchomp pulled out to prevent himself from being KO'd. He glowed pink as Togekiss use a heal pulse on him as Zekrom attempted to give chase. He was momentarily stopped, however, as the tug of rots began to wrap around his legs from Roserade's frenzy plant. Roaring in fury, the legendary glowed blue as he roosted, then slammed his tail into the frenzy plant, shattering the roots. Shooting upwards into an unaware Spiritomb, a bolt strike sent the ghost type soaring across the stadium as he was desperately recalled by Cynthia.

As the Sinnoh Champion's Pokemon warily surrounded the legendary, Ash saw a chance with Charizard. "Charizard, use outrage now!"

Cynthia nodded as Ash did so. "Garchomp, you too! Togekiss, support both of them! Roserade, toxic!"

Charizard and Garchomp slammed into Zekrom from opposite sides as the legendary countered with his own outrage. The three attacks jumbled together into a purple mess of dragon. Togekiss healed Charizard and Garchomp continuously as Roserade, aided by Lucario, shot veins of poison energy into the massive legendary. Zekrom glowed, and all of the Pokemon went flying backwards as a wave of electricity pummeled into them.

Ash gaped as Charizard went spiraling backwards. "Quick, use roost!" He glowed blue for a moment before slamming into the crater wall, sinking down but making his way unsteadily to his feet. Spreading his wings, he dodged a series of thunderbolts before using flamethrower to deflect a dragon pulse. He settled behind Ash as Sceptile threw up a massive protect to stop a wave of electricity from killing Ash and Pikachu.

The tiny electric type looked up at Ash desperately, who shook his head. "No, you can't. Remember what happened the last time you and Zekrom met?" Pikachu sighed in acceptance and went back to watching the unfolding battle.

The sky had darkened and rain had started to fall as Diantha started her attack. Ash was struggling and Cynthia was regrouping as she started her attack. "Goodra, launch yourself with dragon pulse then use outrage! Talonflame, use flame charge repeatedly, the flare blitz into roost! Aurorus, blizzard until Goodra gets to him. Tyrantrum, same thing as Goodra! Gardevoir, teleport and moon blast. Hawlucha, stay with me."

Aurorus reared back and launched an insane blast of ice energy at Zekrom as Gardevoir disappeared and materialized behind the legendary. As the ice struck Zekrom, Gardevoir's Moonblast struck its head, making it roar in pain. Talonflame shot into its midsection as more moonblasts hit him, then again. On his third run, however, Zekrom spun around and slammed Talonflame straight down with his tail, instantly KOing the bird. Diantha recalled him as Tyrantrum and Goodra slammed into the legendary with the force of a truck. The three Pokemon once again disappeared into a mess of limbs and draconian energy as Gardevoir used moonblast once again. Zekrom let out a mighty cry, and a bolt of lightning came down from above and struck all three Pokemon. Tyrantrum was instantly knocked out, and Goodra flew back towards Diantha as she recalled the dinosaur and stared at the legendary in disbelief.

Gardevoir narrowed her eyes at the dragon as it turned its eyes towards her. Her eyes glowed, and Zekrom lifted into the air further. Draconian power seemed to leak from its body as it tried to break free, and Gardevoir used the opening to slam Zekrom with another powerful moonblast before dropping the psychic and launching a dazzling gleam. Ash could see Diantha concentrating as Zekrom lurched forwards before being blown back by the wave of fairy energy. The legendary roared in fury as Roserade's toxic took effect before glowing blue and roaring again. The roost restored its health as the hyper voice drove Gardevoir backwards and broke her concentration. Zekrom reared back as electricity arched across its body before driving forwards and slamming into Gardevoir.

The bolt strike drove Gardevoir into the stadium wall as Diantha piercingly shrieked in pain and fell to her knees. She hastily recalled her main Pokemon as she devolved. Ash stared at Zekrom in horror. _That was Diantha's strongest Pokemon down, and it's as if Zekrom hasn't taken any damage! How can we possibly hope to beat it?_

 **Erin's Perspective – Shalour City Outskirts**

Erin cheered as Blastoise collapsed onto the battlefield. "Yeah! Ash won!" Kirlia smiled and spun around as Deerling and Druddigon lounged next to them.

Paul frowned as he watched the battlefield. "So that's how strong Ketchum really is. Pathetic." He turned away from the screen that Erin had set up using a sheet and her Poketch.

Erin turned around to stare at her friend. "You're kidding me, right? Is now really the time you need to activate asshole mode?"

Paul shook his head. "Not this battle. Pathetic that he has such powerful Pokemon, but he limits himself by using that weakling of a Froaky. His entire Kalos team except Pikachu is weak and under trained. He could sweep the Kalos league he actually used Charizard on a regular basis. It's absurd."

Erin was about to respond, but her attention was brought back to the match as the announcer started to say something odd. The aerial footage of the field shook, and the announcer yelled, "The stadium is calling for an evacuation! Hundreds of people are releasing their Pokemon and fleeing the stadium!" She gaped as what seemed like a missile slammed into the champion's box, and Ash got on Charizard and shot into the crowd. Then the entire screen went dark.

Paul and Erin stared at each other with wide eyes. "What the hell just happened?" Paul asked, getting up from where he was sitting against a tree.

Before Erin could respond, the TV screen switched from black to a disorganized studio. Several people ran across the screen as a newscaster ran in and sat down at the table. "We have just lost all contact with the Tournament Extraordinaire stadium!" he exclaimed. "We don't know yet, but it's possible that something horrible has just occurred as the stadium. Wait..." He pressed a hand to an earpiece, and then looked up at the camera with a horrified expression on his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, according to a news crew who were on a helicopter reporting at the sight, a massive explosion has just ripped through the stadium on route 27 where the Tournament Extraordinaire is taking place. We're collecting footage of the incident now."

Erin stared at the screen in horror as she watched the stadium. _An explosion? But how? Is Serena all right? What about everyone else?_ The stadium seemed normal, then the ground began to crack. An entire portion of the audience was lifted out of their seats by a massive psychic and moved away from the stadium as protects sprung up across the stands. Then, a blinding flash of white light filled the camera for at least fifteen seconds. When it faded, a massive dust cloud obscured much of the stadium, which was obviously destroyed.

 _Serena._ She got to her feet and returned Deerling and Druddigon, her mind already made up. Paul's eyes widened as he instantly realized what she intended to do. "No, Erin, you can't! It's too dangerous! He ran forwards and grabbed her arm, and she tried to yank it away as she turned towards him.

She shook her head. "Serena, Ash, Elle, Clemont and Bonnie are all there. We have to make sure that they're all right!"

"No, we can't."

Erin stared at Paul, who was barely a foot away from her. "Don't you get it? We have to go!"

"But why?"

Erin closed her eyes as she remembered Geosenge town. "I let Gurkinn die, and it ruined Korrina. Now my friends are in danger, and I'm sure as hell not going to let the same thing happen to them!" Her eyes watered a bit as she stared at Paul, who had a look of desperation in his eyes.

"But what would happen to the people who cared about you if you go there and die?" Paul asked.

Erin shook her head. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

"No, but-"

"I have to!"

Paul seemed terrified of something all of a sudden, and Erin couldn't tell what. "Erin, don't you get it? I can't lose you."

"But I-"

She was cut off as Paul leaned in and kissed her. She was surprised only for a second, then embraced him and returned it. The two of them broke off in a heat, and Erin looked at Paul as she never had before. The boy had a deep blush, and she didn't know what to think as conflicting emotions rose up inside of her.

Erin stared at Paul. _Did that really just happen?_ It took a second for her to compose herself. _Serena._ "We should go together."

Paul nodded, and Kirlia psychically cleaned up the camp and packed both of their bags in a matter of seconds. They both grabbed their stuff as Kirlia smirked at Erin. _"It was bound to happen eventually, anyways."_

Erin flushed deep red. _"_ _Shut up. I have a sister to save."_ Kirlia rolled her eyes as she touched both her and Paul, and the trio disappeared from the peace of the woods in a flash.

 **Serena's Perspective – Route 27**

Looker yelled, "Protect!" as Latios came speeding towards them at absurd speeds. Rotom threw up a protect, and the giga impact slammed into him at full force, sending his protect spiraling backwards until he cut it off and floated back over to Serena.

Serena stared at the hunter, a rising feeling of utter hatred rising up inside of her. Heart breaking, she yelled, "How could you do something like this? Do you even realize how many people you just killed?"

J sneered. "Oh, sweet naive Serena. I merely caused this. You had your hand on the switch, but you couldn't bring it down in time. Why, I would be inclined to think this is your fault." Her sugar coated voice dripped contempt for the girl.

Serena felt J's words cut deep into her. _She's right. I could have stopped all of this, but I failed._ What she didn't expect was when Rotom appeared behind her and slammed an electro ball into Latios, nearly bucking J off of the legendary.Her dark glasses flew off of her face, revealing stormy gray eyes that flashed as the ashen twilight bled its last crimson rays down on the humans below.

J's face turned from patronizing to downright vicious, making her seem monstrous through the pouring rain and dust. "Fool. You're going to pay for that. Immobilize them."

Latios cried out as his eyes glowed white. Serena rose into the air as excruciating pain filled ever fiber of her being. As it started to fade, she hung her head as J floated towards her. She flicked her hand, and Latios shot another blast of pain through her system, and her vision went black as it overwhelmed her senses.

Choking on ash, Serena gritted her teeth as she desperately tried to stave of the pain. _Ash._ It was only thinking of him that she was able to find the strength to stop herself from crying out.

As Serena visibly suffered, Looker yelled, "Stop it! This is cruel and unusual treatment!"

Momentarily taking her attention off of Serena, J turned to the detective and laughed. "I don't have time for you, old man." She raised the arm with her cannon and fired a single shot directly into Looker's chest. He screamed in pain as his entire body glowed, and he shrunk down to the size of Fennekin as a tiny bronze figurine.

"Looker!" Serena screamed as the man clattered to the dusty ground, motionless. _No, this isn't happening._

Momentarily jumping off of Latios, J licked her lips as she picked op the figurine and fondled the motionless man's cheeks. "I know a certain Galactic scientist who will be more than pleased to kill you. I hear he's working on genetic modification these days. I wonder what… delicious torture he'll put you through before he kills you."

"Stop it!" Serena wildly shook her head in a futile effort to get loose of the psychic, but failed as her hair whirled around her head like a golden halo. "Why would you do this? What do you possibly have to gain?"

"Shut her up!" J's eyes were wild as she spun around to look at Serena. "You know fucking nothing about me! Nothing!" Her voice took a crazed edge as the rain ran down her face. Her hair and composure both seemed to have been lost, hanging down around her in wet clumps. She aimed her cannon next to Serena and fired, and Rotom collapsed as a figurine to the ground next to Serena.

Serena stared in horror at her Pokemon, seemingly dead on the ground next to her. _I'm going to die here. I'm never going to see any of my friends again._ Desperately, she sent prayers to Arceus, anyone who could help her.

J jumped into the air, and Latios swooped under the Hunter to catch her in midair. She pressed a button on her cannon, and a long serrated blade shot out of the contraption. Her eyes widened as she stared at the cold steel pointed at her face. "The world did worse things to me than you could ever imagine, Serena Yvonne. They took everything from me, and I'm going to take everything back piece by piece that is rightfully mine. You're a rich, entitled brat who isn't even strong enough to fight your own battles, and now you're going to die for it." She spat in Serena's face as she brought the blade down and rammed it into her hand.

Serena's eyes shut tight as her hand seemed to explode into raging fire. The Hunter dug the blade deeper into her hand, grinning maniacally as Serena seemed to wither under the pain. "You dare to question me. You dare to attack my Pokemon. You dare to attack my organization." Worst off all..."

J ripped the blade out of Serena's hand. Blood dripped from the wound onto her miniskirt, turning the already dark fabric deep crimson. "You dare to be the chosen!"

Serena fought to not black out as J pressed the blade against her cheek. "The others are nothing. Money and goods, things that I have no need for. But you… Oh, I'm going to savor killing you for a long time, Serena Yvonne."

"And you would be a fool, J."

J drew back and spun around as a mysterious cloaked figure stepped out from the shadows of the ashen stripped trunks of the trees around them. Her eyes widened, and she snarled, "You!"

The figure bowed her head and drew her hood back, revealing blue hair that tumbled down below her shoulders. A dark Pokemon jumped onto her shoulder, and Serena was barely able to muster her confusion. _What? Why did Zorua go to her?_ The blue-haired woman reached out and stroked the hair of the tricky fox Pokemon as she stuck out her hand. Zorua's pokeball flew free of Serena's belt and into her hand, and she smiled. "You did well, Zorua. Your mission has been accomplished."

J sneered at the woman in front of her. "What do you want?"

The woman shrugged. "Your plan has begun to come to fruition. I only wish to witness her fate, whatever it may be. Consider me to be a bystander."

J raised an eyebrow. "So you won't stop me from killing her?"

"Oh, I won't stop you."

The Hunter grinned demonically as she ran her hand down the length of the bloody blade. "Good."

"However, there is always another chosen." The woman stepped aside from J, and the Hunter smirked as she and Latios floated forwards towards Serena, only to be pushed aside by a massive flash that blinded the entire area.

The last thing Serena heard before blacking out was someone desperately crying her name.

 **Erin's Perspective – Route 27**

Erin and Paul appeared in what appeared to be a scene out of a horror movie.

The air around them was dark and clogged, and rain poured down on top of them. In the background, the destroyed wreckage of the stadium loomed over them. Worst of all, Erin watched as Serena, who was suspended directly in front of them in midair, collapsed to the ground.

"Serena!" she screamed, not fully comprehending the situation. She sprinted forwards as Kirlia caught Serena and grabbed her. She looked up to see an absolutely furious and confused Hunter J bearing down on top of her on Latios' back.

"Erin, no!" Paul chucked a Pokeball as hard as he could, and it slammed into Latios' head. The Eon Pokemon reared back with a cry as Pidgeot appeared in front of Erin and Serena with a massive protect.

Erin stared down at Serena with horror. The blond girl who was nearly identical to her had a long cut across her face. Her left hand was covered in blood, and a massive stab wound went all the way through it. Her clothes were covered in dust and singed, and her signature hat was gone. She looked up at J, ready to murder her. "What the hell did you do to her?"

J snarled as Latios rammed the protect, but failed to break through. "I would have killed her, if you hadn't intervened."

Erin rose to her feet as she and Paul released their Pokemon to flank Serena. Her attention flew to a small bronze figurine on the ground, and her eyes widened in recognition as she realized what it was. _That's the same thing that happened to Sanpei when he was captured!_ She growled, "Pidgeot, use hidden power!"

The bird nodded, and a radiant green glow shot outwards from his body in all directions. Inky black marks painted themselves across Erin and Paul's hands as the two statues glowed yellow. One shot upwards, turning into a man about Erin's height who collapsed to the side. The other seemed to just melt away to reveal a strange orange Pokemon that Erin didn't recognize.

A laugh from the side diverted both Erin and J's attention as a blue haired woman walked out in between Latios and the protect. Cerys smirked as she looked Erin and Paul over. "Perfect. I knew you would come."

J's eyes widened as she stared at Cerys in surprise. "This is your fault!" Her gaze hardened, and she gestured to Latios. The legendary reared back before shooting towards Cerys at max power, body glowing as he attempted to destroy the woman.

Cerys calmly raised a single hand out in front of her, and Latios stopped dead, immobile. Dark tendrils curled around his body, creeping towards J and Pidgeot's protect. The woman's eyes hardened as she stared at J with a cold intensity. "I would not be such a fool as to attack me, I were you."

Erin's hands shook as she stared at Cerys. Paul put a warning hand on her shoulder, but she ignored it, hitting his hand away. "Why?"

Cerys shifted her gaze to Erin, and she swept her hand to one side. As if she had flipped a switch, Pidgeot's protect instantly vanished. Erin gasped as the darkness rushed up to grab hold of the bird, holding him just as immobile as Latios. Her mouth hardened as she looked over Erin. "Erin, I see that you have… changed. Foolish that the champion challenged you, really. Such arrogance will be her undoing."

"That wasn't my question!" Erin snarled as the darkness that seemed to emanate from Cerys began to envelop their surroundings, cloaking them from the rest of the world. "Why did you kill Gurkinn?"

Kirlia sent a warning probe into Erin's mind. _"_ _Erin, we can't do this! Remember what she did to us last time? We couldn't even touch Hydregion, much less that shadow."_

Erin viciously shoved Kirlia's warning aside. _"_ _No! They're both going to pay for what they've done to me and my friends!"_

Cerys' eyes flashed in amusement. "I, the one who killed Gurkinn? I told you that you play a role in this world. You and I both know fully well that Gurkinn could have been saved. And now what? Just look at what happened to poor Korrina…" The words slithered off of her tongue like sickeningly sweet venom.

Kirlia blasted her energy into Erin, and Paul said something, but it wasn't enough to stop something from snapping inside of her. "Shut the fuck up!" she screamed, taking a wild step forwards as the darkness crept up her leg. "Why is all of this happening to me?"

Cerys narrowed her eyes. "Why? This world needs something more to preserve it. Of course, you're so caught up in yourself that you don't even see your _sister_ lying half dead at your feet. Or had you convinced yourself that you belong here? That Serena really cares about you as if you were family? That you haven't made the lives of every single person who you've come into contact with worse?"

Erin could barely keep herself afloat as the words cut through her. She looked back at Serena, lying motionless behind her. At Paul, watching her and J with horror. At Kirlia, who looked broken in her desolation. The darkness climbed up her legs and torso, and covered the pure white fabric of her skirt and sweatshirt. _This can't be it. This isn't where it all ends._

"No."

 _"_ _No."_

Kirlia put her hands together and exploded with a blast of fairy energy as Erin brilliantly glowed a light gold. The darkness evaporated as mists swirled around Erin, Paul, Kirlia, and Serena, spreading out to form a boundary in between them and Cerys. Pidgeot returned to normal, and he slumped to the ground in a faint as Paul stepped up behind Erin and returned him.

Erin's entire body glowed with a radiant golden light as an outpouring of Kirlia's power filled her and stripped away her fear, her hate, her uncertainty. "You're wrong, Cerys." She and Kirlia seemed to speak together, and Erin lifted one finger and pointed at both her and J. "This is your faults! You took Sanpei! You hurt Paul! You killed Gurkinn! You destroyed this stadium! You nearly kidnapped Ralts' family! I didn't choose to come here. I was put here for a reason, and that's to stop you!"

Kirlia cut of her power and Erin dropped down to one knee as Cerys stepped back and laughed. "Empty words, but perhaps they may hold merit someday. Good. Perhaps this time stream still has hope. Remember what I told you in Geosenge Town, Erin. The time will come when the tests that face you will require more of you than this."

Emotionally drained, Erin watched as Cerys stepped backwards into the shadows. She seemed to melt into them as a massive roar shook the foundations of the earth. The shadow faded, and Cerys was gone.

Paul looked around him in amazement. "Incredible. Kirlia used misty terrain to stave off the darkness." His eyes hardened as he looked at Erin, who was hollowly staring at her hands as he hair hung low around her head. "Erin. We can talk about this later, but we have to deal with J." He pointed up at the white haired Hunter, who barely managed to struggle to her feet. He grabbed his three remaining pokeballs, and released Ninjask, Phantump, and Clauncher.

 _So all of this was just… a test._ Erin closed her eyes as she hung her head. _"Kirlia, thank you."_ A single tear leaked down her cheek to the misty ground as the fairy lights illuminated her face. _I-_

Her bond with Kirlia seemed to be the only tangible thing as she desperately tried to shut off the world around her. _"_ _Erin, there's nothing you can do. We have to stop J."_ Kirlia seemed just as lifeless as she felt, but she sent her acknowledgment to her before raising her head and releasing Druddigon and Deerling.

Serena stirred behind her as the fairy aura slowly began to revitalize her. Her eyes slid open as J recalled Latios, who was knocked out by the shadow. "Erin?" she whispered feebly, and Paul knelt down beside her as Erin stared J down.

The boy knelt down and swept the loose hair out of Serena's face. "We're here. You're too hurt to move. Don't even think about it."

The smallest of smiles stretched across Erin's face as the black mark of the Dialga Institute slowly faded from her hand. _Serena's not gone yet._ She shifted her posture as J looked from her to the six Pokemon surrounding her. "Give up, J," Erin said in a dead tone. "Surrender, or I'll kill you."

J mustered her face into a sneer. "This isn't over." In a flash, she released a Gothitelle and vanished.

Erin stared blankly at the empty space where the Hunter had been. _Good._ _She's gone._ Kirlia lifted her up with psychic and helped her walk over to Serena, where she collapsed to her knees.

Serena's eyes were barely open as she looked up at Erin. "You came," she whispered, as Erin hugged the blood soaked girl.

Erin nodded, unable to come up with words. She looked Serena over, eyes coming to rest on the chain around her neck. She smiled and said, "You wore it."

Serena was barely able to shake her head. "Of course I did."

As the two embraced, Paul and Kirlia went to look over the man and the Pokemon that they had restored from the statues J had created. The man arose first, rubbing his chest in pain as he stared around him confusedly. "W-what happened? Who are you? Is Serena all right? Where's J?"

Paul frowned. "J's gone. Serena needs medical attention. I don't know everything that happened, and my identity is of no concern to you."

Meanwhile, Erin tenderly brushed Serena's bloody hand, only to jerk it away as she felt the girl stiffen beneath her. "What did J do to you?" Erin growled.

"She said she was going to kill me," Serena whispered. "She- She had a knife, and-"

Erin shook her head. "No, tell me later. I'm just glad that you're alive."

The two of them sat there as the mists swirled around them. Paul yelled as he was on the receiving end of a rude awakening for Rotom, and a massive roar rang through the air from the stadium.

Erin stared at the looming stadium behind Serena. _Whatever caused this explosion is still out there. I just hope that Ash is okay._

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

"Blast burn!"

Charizard reared up into the sky, then slammed his flaming fist down into the ground. Zekrom powered through the strong attack and slammed into Charizard with a giga impact. It kept going for Ash, but Sceptile threw up a protect just before it made impact, driving the legendary up and into the sky.

Ash cried out in alarm as Charizard slammed into the side of the stadium, this time for good. The flame Pokemon had swirls in his eyes as Ash recalled him, and he stared up at Zekrom bleakly.

Zekrom roared once again as he glowed blue, shaking the stadium. _"_ _This is the best effort that you can put up? I can't believe I ever accepted you as my hero! Now, you will understand the true ideals that will reshape this world!"_

Cynthia and Diantha both looked worse for wear as well. Diantha was down to just Aurorus and Goodra, and she seemed to have shifted to a defensive mode of self preservation. Cynthia still had Garchomp, Roserade, Togekiss, and Lucario, but all of them seemed to be tired as well. The two champions were both looking at Ash and each other, and defeat seemed to be inevitable.

Zekrom's mouth glowed orange as he prepared to shot a draco meteor high into the sky, but he was stopped as a massive force slammed into his side and exploded, sending the Pokemon flying downwards into the stadium. The black Pokemon hit the rubble hard, sending up a wave of dust and mud.

Ash's head spun around to look as four military grade helicopters flew out into the stadium. One slid its side open to reveal a strange contraption, while another shot a second missile into the legendary's side. Zekrom screeched in pain as the impact opened a massive wound on its side, and the force drove it down into the wall.

The contraption charged, then fired a red beam of energy that hit the legendary's side. Zekrom shrieked as its form glowed red, immobilizing it and forcing it to stand.

A man walked to the edge of the helicopter. His fiery red hair seemed to light up the desolation around him, and a matching suit clung to his massive frame as he leaped out holding a pokeball in one hand. He walked up to Zekrom and pressed the button of the ball to the Pokemon's hide. The legendary was sucked in, and the ball shook five times before dinging a successful capture.

Ash's eyes widened as he started to run toward the man, followed by his Pokemon. _He just… caught Zekrom? Is that even possible?_

Diantha and Cynthia made it to the man right before Ash did. Diantha's eyes were wide. "Lysandre! Just in time, as always."

The tall man graciously nodded, slightly tilting his head as he surveyed the scene around him. "No. Evidently, I was too late." His tone was masked, and it was impossible for Ash to tell what he was truly thinking.

Lysandre smiled at Diantha as she started to respond, but he stopped abruptly as a blade-like talon came to rest on his throat. Diantha stared as Cynthia walked up to Lysandre. "You are the greatest fool that I have ever met. Give me a good reason why I shouldn't kill you on the spot."

The fiery haired man held out his hand and spread his fingers wide, and Cynthia snatched the pokeball away from him. Lysandre raised an eyebrow at her. "I save Kalos from what would most certainly be destruction if Zekrom had been allowed to continue attacking, and this is the thanks I get?"

Cynthia stared down at the Pokeball she held with horror as she motioned for Garchomp to move away. "I have studied Legendary Pokemon for ten years. I know more about them than any other trainer on the face of this earth." Her hand clenched around the ball, and her head shot up. "You may have just ruined the balance of our world by doing catching a legendary. We have to release Zekrom before there are any repercussions!"

Lysandre laughed. "You, world champion, are going to release an infuriated and injured legendary without proper preparation? Even you would not be so foolish. Hold it until this mess dies down. Kalos has some serious rebuilding to do, and if Zekrom is still on the loose, then..." He let his sentence trail off into the dead air around them.

Ash caught up to the group of three as Cynthia pocketed the pokeball with a grimace. Sceptile stood by his side as Pikachu leaped onto his shoulder. "Is it over?" he asked as Lysandre turned tail and walked back to his helicopter.

Cynthia nodded at him gravely as Diantha yelled at Lysandre. "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

Lysandre sneered at her. "In case you didn't catch it, champion, my entire HQ was practically razed by the Syndicate this morning. I would say I have some rebuilding to do, though not nearly as much as you do." He stepped into the helicopter as the door slammed shut, and the vehicles rose into the air and departed just as fast as they had come.

Diantha closed her eyes and sunk to her knees as the dust finally settled around them. "How could this have happened? Such terrible destruction… So many lost. Who could possibly have wanted this?"

Ash tried to keep his eyes steely as he watched Cynthia attempt to comfort the crying Kalos champion. She was right. He hoped that Elle, Clemont, Bonnie, and Gary were all alright, but he couldn't say for sure. Serena on the other hand…

The more and more he thought about the honey blond dying, the more and more it infuriated him. Serena, screaming in pain as the fires of a thousand suns incinerated her. Serena, lying on the ground under a pile of rubble, slowly wasting away. Serena, crushed by the immense power of the legendary Zekrom.

He clenched his fist. _If she dies, I'll never forgive myself. She just-_

Ash stopped his spiraling as he realized something shocking. _Wait a second. Sure, everyone that I've ever traveled with has been in dangerous situations, but I never thought anything like this about them. Does that mean that Serena… is different from everyone else?_

A tiny voice in his head, echoing through his entire body, screamed yes.

Ash pushed his morbid thoughts aside as his resolve strengthened. _I have to find her. Now._ He nodded to Sceptile, and then turned away from the champions and started to walk away from the stadium.

"Ash, where are you going?"

He turned around to see Cynthia staring at him. "I have to find my friends."

Cynthia nodded. "We need to find and count the dead. It may be impossible, considering how many were directly caught in the blast. You should do what you can. Oh, and Ash? It's no consolation, considering everything that has happened, but congratulations on winning the Tournament Extraordinaire."

In spite of himself, the smallest of smiles found its ghost on Ash's lips as he walked out of the wreckage, leaving the ruined stadium behind him.

 **[A/N] Where do I even begin to talk about this chapter?**

 **First of all, we see Elle's viewpoint for the first time ever. I can guarantee that we'll be seeing a lot more of her in upcoming chapters.**

 **Honestly, poor Clemont, Bonnie, and Gary. Gary is useless because all of his Pokemon are knocked out, and Clemont is too busy protecting Bonnie to do anything. And Bonnie? She's eight, guys. She can't handle something like this.**

 **I felt the battle part was an accurate reflection of the skills of champions, as well as the brute force of a legendary.**

 **Erin and Paul… Yeah, that's been starting for a long while. Please tell me if you thought that scene was believable. Despite the fact that this story is secondarily in the romance genre, I have very little experience writing it. Any and all tips are more than welcome! (hint hint)**

 **Finally, Serena. If this hasn't already been established in this fan fiction, J is a crazy ass psychopath. Also, if a single one of you has any clue what Cerys' motives are, you get all of the digital cookies. All of them. No, but in all seriousness, this was one of the hardest scenes that I've ever had to write.**

 **Next, I didn't anticipate how much this chapter would cover and how dark it would be before hand. Therefore, there's going to be a one chapter period with repercussions and a bit of fluff to cycle into the Camp arc. After that, camp is going to have some ten different things all going on at the same time. It's going to be absolutely crazy awesome!**

 **Last, the middle evolutions for the starters were just revealed. I like all of them, honestly. I think each one had its own unique style and flair, and I love Pokemon for it. What are all of your opinions.**

 **We're at 95 reviews, and I want to know what you thought. Who's excited for camp with me? How was the chapter? Review, leave a favorite and a follow, and Pokefan87 signing out.**


	30. Hospitalized

Chapter 30 – Hospitalized

 **[A/N] This is the first of two chapters in between the Tournament Extraordinaire and summer camp. Reviews will be responded to at the bottom of the page.**

 **Ash's Perspective – Route 27**

Pikachu's cheeks sparked with electricity, and the electric mouse Pokemon cried out jubilantly as he motioned with his tail for Ash to followed.

Ash allowed himself the slightest of smiles as he rose from his kneeling position at the base of the stadium. _At least we know that Dedenne's okay now._ He brushed loose dust off of his sweatshirt as he started to follow Pikachu, Sceptile trailing close behind.

After walking through the dust for a while, the cloud thinned out considerably as he reached its edge. Now he could see again as Pikachu led him around the edge of the destruction, until they reached a group of familiar faces.

Clemont looked up as Ash walked up to them, and his face broke out into a wide smile. "Ash! You're all right!"

Ash frowned as he saw Clemont. He, along with Gary, had established a temporary camp that seemed to be acting more like a field hospital. Gary was huddled over a row of people lying down on a picnic blanket the inventor had kept in his bag. One of his inventions was holding rainwater that Ash's formal rival was using to wipe dirt off his patient's faces. "Is everyone alright?" he asked in a hushed tone as Clemont got up and walked over to him.

Clemont shook her head. "I was lucky that I grabbed my backpack before the explosion. There are so many who are injured and sick from the dust. My first aid is barely enough to cover everyone who has come to us so far."

Ash's heart sank as he stared at the injured people over Clemont's shoulder. "How many?"

The inventor's eyes watered as his voice cracked. "Thirty people have come to us already. Fourteen left after they got some basic healthcare and a drink of water to try and clear the dust out. Twelve are too sick to go any further. Four… They..." He squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head.

"And our group?"

Clemont sighed as he partially composed himself. "Gary and I are both fine, which is why we're helping out as best we can. Elle hit her head and got separated from us while we were running away, but her Pokemon were able to get her here and out of the dust. We think she has a concussion. She's asleep with the injured right now. Bonnie..." Clemont glanced backwards over his shoulder, where his younger sister was blankly sitting under a tree watching Gary work. His eyes were filled with worry. "She was like this after Sanpei was captured by J. She can't handle something like this, Ash. She's in her own world, completely unresponsive, and I don't know what I can do."

Ash sighed. "No sign of Serena?"

Clemont shook his head. "I haven't seen her since this morning, when she disappeared off with Looker."

Ash cursed under his breath. "Sceptile, Pikachu, and I are all going to help you as much as possible. I want to go look for people who need help in the dust. Can we borrow Chespin?"

Clemont nodded as he walked back over the makeshift hospital. Chespin nodded as Clemont pointed to Ash, and the grass-type walked over to him. Ash clenched his fist, and they walked back into the dissipating dust cloud.

It took them barely thirty second before they came across their first body. Ash felt hollow as he had Chespin lift the corpse up above his head. Gary and Clemont both bowed their heads as Ash laid the body down next to the others who had died.

Five minutes later, Ash had helped to recover six of the dead, and had led a man whose arm had been broken by rubble to safety. He groaned as he walked back into the camp, already mentally preparing himself to plunge back into the chaos.

What he didn't expect was when he found Serena's Rotom and a Kirlia confronting Clemont. His eyes widened, and he broke out into a sprint, coming to a halt next to the Lumiose Gym leader. "Rotom! Is Serena alive?"

The plasma Pokemon buzzed as it saw Ash. _"_ _Ah, wonderful! Serena's penis is here now! The world is saved!"_ Clemont raised an eyebrow at the dex as Ash turned beet red. Rotom snickered, but abruptly stopped as Kirlia slammed it into the ground with psychic. _"I mean, what Princess' sister's sidekick here wants me to say is-"_ Kirlia slammed Rotom down again, and the dex gave an over exaggerated sigh. _"_ _Fine. Serena is alive, but she passed out from blood loss about a minute ago. If we don't get her help, she may be gone before we can do much."_

Ash's eyes widened in shock. _She's alive._ "Blood loss? We need to get there now!" He looked to Clemont, who shook his head.

"Ash, you need to go. I'm needed here." Clemont turned away from the Pokemon and returned to help Gary.

Ash turned back to the Pokemon, gesturing for Sceptile to go and help out. Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder as he looked at Kirlia. "Take me to her."

 **Erin's Perspective – Route 27**

Erin groaned as Serena suddenly grew limp in her arms. Gently, she set her down on the ground and called to over to Paul. "Paul, she just passed out. We need to get her to the hospital!"

Paul, who had angrily been chasing after the Rotom, stopped short and walked over. "You're right. What about the others?"

Erin frowned as she thought about it. "You're right. We should let them know Serena is okay." _That is, assuming they're alive. "Kirlia, can you go find Ash and bring him with us?"_

 _"Sure, but how can I talk to him?"_

 _"Good point."_ Erin relayed her Pokemon's message to Paul, who frowned.

"I don't know. We don't have the time to waste, though."

 _"I could be of assistance."_ Erin and Paul both looked over in shock as Rotom floated to hover over Serena with a smirk plastered all over its smug face.

"Who are you?" Erin asked as she stared at the Pokemon.

Rotom drew back as if offended. _"I am Rotom, the humble servant and beloved companion of the late Princess Serena. I am most regre-"_

Kirlia teleported in front of Rotom and pointed at him. _"_ _Cut the crap before I psychic your silly digital face into the ground. Can you help us or not?"_

Rotom rolled his eyes. _"Do I have a choice?"_

 _"No."_ Kirlia grabbed the Pokemon and they vanished. As they did so, Erin turned her attention back to Serena.

"Paul, do we have anything we could use to stop the bleeding?"

Paul nodded. He ran over to their bags and pulled out an extra t-shirt. Ripping off a long strip, he carefully tied it around Serena's hand to try and cover up the wound. It had almost no effect as crimson soaked through the sheet nearly instantly. "No good. We just need Kirlia to come back soon."

A minute later, Kirlia reappeared with Ash in tow. The raven haired boy seemed to be relatively unharmed, and he had Pikachu on his shoulder as he saw Serena. His eyes widened, and he ran over to the collapsed girl. "Serena!"

Erin stepped in between him and Serena, and Ash skidded to a halt as he stared at the girl. "Erin? What are you doing here?"

She shook her head. "No time to explain. We're taking Serena to Shalour Hospital now."

 _"_ _Let's go."_ Kirlia teleported to get everyone in one place, then everyone disappeared in a flash.

 **Serena's Perspective – Shalour City**

Serena woke up to the steady tick of the heart monitor.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she gradually became aware of her surroundings. She was lying on a soft bed, staring up at the white ceiling above her. Her mind felt foggy, and a powerful dull ache was pulsing from her arm. _What happened?_

She could barely remember. The explosion… Then J had attacked… And had Erin been there? All she could concentrate on was the overpowering pain in her arm, the one J had attacked. She fought to keep her eyes open and stay conscious as she feebly attempted to push herself upwards with her good arm.

A buzzer dinged as a familiar voice by her side yelled, "She's awake!" Serena felt herself starting to drift off until Ash leaned over her concernedly. "Serena, don't try to sit up. Just wait for help to come, okay?"

She smiled faintly as she felt herself drifting off into unconsciousness. "Ash..."

Serena wasn't sure how long she was out for before she came up again. This time, she immediately tried to focus on the pain to keep her awake until she was able to fully open her eyes.

Her vision swayed as she dragged her head up her pillow. Looking around, she saw all of her companions except for Elle. Ash and Erin were sitting on either side of her, and another boy along with a man who seemed to be a doctor. She even saw her mom sitting behind Erin, staring at her with worry.

The doctor stepped forwards. "Good afternoon, Serena. Tell me, how do you feel?"

Serena opened parched lips, and she croaked, "Bad. What happened?"

The doctor looked like he was about to respond, but Erin butted in as she shook her head slightly at the doctor. "You're in the Shalour City Hospital. You passed out after I beat J, and we got you here as fast as we could."

Serena shut her eyes as it all washed back over her. _I failed. I didn't stop J, Zorua is gone, and…_ "How many are..."

She trailed off, unable to bring herself to finish her statement. Everybody looked down at the ground as Clemont sighed. "The death count right now is estimated at 55,000. A fourth of the people in the stadium made it out in time, but a lot of them died in the ash or as they fled."

Serena shoved her head backwards into her pillow. Filled with self-loathing, the only thing she could think to say was, "My hand hurts."

Ash looked like he was about to speak, but the doctor beat him to it. "Serena, you're incredibly lucky to be alive right now. Your hand was stabbed clean through, then ripped apart by a series of powerful psychic blasts. The ash and dirt got into the wound, and it got infected almost instantly. You also lost a ton of blood. You were running a fever of 106 degrees when we got you."

Weakly, Serena opened her eyes. "What happened to it?"

It was her mother who had to deliver the bad news. "Honey, your hand… they tried everything they could. You spent the last thirty six hours in surgery trying to save it. In the end, the only way they could stop the infection from spreading to the rest of your arm was… was..." She started to cry, and Erin awkwardly hugged her to try and comfort her.

 _"_ _I'll do it."_ Serena looked up to see Rotom hovering above her. His digital face was surprisingly somber. _"_ _Serena, the doctors had to amputate your hand to save your life. Latios and J destroyed it beyond repair. I'm sorry."_

A sickened feeling filled Serena's gut as she stared down her arm to see a stump where her hand had been. To tired to cry, she sank back into unconsciousness to escape the world that seemed to have become a nightmare.

 **Erin's Perspective – Shalour City**

As Rotom delivered the news, Erin slipped to the back of the room and tugged on Paul's sleeve. She motioned for the two of them to leave the room, and they slipped out the door as Serena slumped down into her bed.

Kirlia sighed as she hovered along between the two of them. _"I swear to Arceus, J's going to pay for this."_

Erin frowned. "Serena can get through this. She's strong, remember?" _Evidently not strong enough to fight J, let alone Cerys._

Paul was brooding as he stalked down the long corridor. "It's sick. Cerys called that a test. What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Erin sighed. "I have no fucking idea." Kirlia brushed against her arm, and she felt herself calm down slightly as her Pokemon balanced her emotions.

"Erin!" She turned around to see Grace walking down the hallway after her. "Please, wait!"

Erin turned around, dreading what was about to happen. _Grace still thinks that I'm her daughter, doesn't she? How am I supposed to talk to her?_ "What do you want, Gr- Mom?"

Serena's mom stopped short and put her hands on her hips. "What do I want? What do you think I want? I'm your mother, Erin! I learned you have a concussion a month after you got it! You were on the news for being in the Geosenge disaster! You split up with Serena, and didn't even tell me!"

Erin tried to respond, but the older woman rushed forwards and embraced her. "I-"

Grace held her out at arm's length and smiled faintly. "I suppose I should be grateful that both my girls are alive. I mean, just look at you! Three Pokemon and a gym badge! When I let the two of you go, I never would have thought..." She started to cry as Erin desperately looked over her shoulder at Paul and Kirlia for help.

"Mom, I- I'm sorry." There was nothing else that she could think to say.

Grace pulled away from Erin. Her black hair was more gray that ever, and her gaze was thoroughly defeated. "I'm going to go and sit with Serena. If you need me, you know where to find me, I guess." She shot Erin a final pained look before turning tail and walking back to the hospital room.

Kirlia and Paul both watched her go with pained expressions on their faces. Erin stared are her shoes, hair falling from her white hoodie down into her face as she clenched her fists. "I need to get out of here," she whispered before leaving the hospital wing as fast as she could short of running.

She stormed out of the building and into the neighboring Pokemon center where they were staying. Once the trio got into their room, Erin slammed the door before throwing herself onto her bed. She started to cry as Paul and Kirlia sat down on the neighboring bed.

"It's not your fault," Paul started to say, but Erin cut him off.

"It's not my fault for what? For existing?" She flipped over and sat against the backboard so that she could see Paul. "What am I supposed to do there? Every single goddamned person in this world who knows me thinks that I'm Serena's sister, except for Serena. How am I supposed to talk to her mother? I'm not her daughter! No matter what I say or do, I fuck up her life even more!"

Kirlia growled. _"_ _I don't know, but we have to do something._ _She's in a bad spot right now, and you just made it worse. Have you ever considered that maybe playing along is the only way to not make people feel like shit? Serena has basically decided that you are her sister. When was the last time she asked you where you came from?"_

Erin glared at her Pokemon. "So what am I supposed to do? Lie to every person I meet?"

 _"Yes!"_ Kirlia sighed as her legs kicked against the bedspread beneath her. _"_ _Please, just let me help you handle it! There's nothing I can do with other people's emotions, but please let me help you deal with it!"_

Erin's eyes widened as she realized what Kirlia was saying. "No way! I'm not going to let you get hurt over this!"

Kirlia's eyes flashed. _"So what? You're going to let Grace and Serena get hurt instead? Are you even thinking about the impact of your own actions?"_

Erin shook her head. "Don't bring them into this! How do you think it feels, anyways? I don't belong here. I never belonged here."

 _"Yes you do! Can't you see that Grace, Serena, and Ash all have let you into their lives? What about Druddigon and Deerling? What about Paul? What about me?"_ Kirlia's eyes watered as she teleported into Erin's arms and hugged her desperately.

 _She's right. She and Paul, they…_ "You're right," Erin whispered into Kirlia's ear. "You and Paul, you're like family to me. I would never let you go."

Paul stood up and walked over to Erin. He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on his shoulder. Paul smiled, then said, "Now can you explain to me what just happened?"

Looking at each other, Erin and Kirlia couldn't help but to laugh.

 **Bonnie's Perspective – Shalour City**

She couldn't break away from it.

When the explosion had started, something inside of her seemed to have turned on like a switch. A vision, of sorts, set on endless replay in the theater of her mind.

 _The green had overtaken her._

 _A canyon. The monolith, rearing down on them. The sundial behind them._

 _There was death. The green attacked, not knowing the result. And she was attacking with them._

The same name kept calling out to her, and she couldn't shake it. Curling up tighter, she whispered, "Zygarde, where are you?"

 **Squishy's Perspective – All Earth Valley**

Zygarde had finally made it to his destination when the bond had been created. He had collapsed as immense energy flew out of his body.

Now, two days later, he was finally able to lift himself up as a certain legendary towered over him.

"Xerneas," he whispered as the regal Pokemon of life. _"I have an urgent need_ _of_ _you._ _This is what you must do_ _"_

 **Clemont's Perspective – Shalour City**

Clemont stared at his sister in concern. The group was eating dinner in the Pokemon Center, and the young girl was curled up in a tight ball on her chair, arms around her knees. Dedenne was worriedly brushing his tail across her face, and Clemont tried to get her to come back to earth with a light shake.

Bonnie only curled up tighter, mumbling something incoherent as she shut her eyes tight. Clemont sighed, his resolve finally made up. _I have no choice. I have to do it._

He looked around the table, regretful already as he looked at all of his companions. Erin was staring off into space, obviously not paying attention to the meal in front of her. Elle and Gary were arguing the proper way to care for grass types. The boy that Erin had introduced as Paul that Ash had seemed to recognized was sitting next to her, whispering something in her ear. Erin laughed, and smiled for the first time that night. Her Kirlia sat on her other side, sculpting a piece of bread into the shape of Magikarp with psychic.

"Hey, Clemont?" Ash said, poking him in the side. Clemont looked over as Ash leaned in and lowered his voice. "Is Bonnie alright? What's up with her?"

Clemont frowned. "I wish I knew the answer to that, but I don't."

Ash picked up on his sense of apprehension, but misinterpreted it completely. "Don't worry about everything that's happened so far. Summer camp is only delayed for a week, and then we get to go to summer camp! After that, we've still got most of Kalos to explore! I mean, the explosion was really horrible, but that doesn't mean it has to change anything, does it?" His tone, which started out light, grew serious and unsure as he finished his proclamation and trailed off.

 _I have to do it now._ Clemont sighed again as he cleared his throat. "Actually, can I have everyone's attention?" Heads across the table went up as Clemont shot another look at Bonnie. "I have an announcement to make."

Ash frowned. "What do you mean?" He looked so clueless and innocent that Clemont almost wasn't able to finish his sentence.

"I-" His voice faltered as he nearly lost his resolve, but he forced himself to continue. "I have decided that Bonnie and I will return to Lumiose City after Sycamore's summer camp is over."

Everyone's reaction was instantaneous, but to Clemont's surprise, none more so than Erin. She sat straight up, shocked, and yelled, "No! You can't do that!"

Clemont's brow furrowed. _What does she mean, I can't?_ "I'm sorry, but this is twice now that Bonnie's life has been put in extreme danger. I can't allow her to keep going, and I can't just abandon her with our dad. I really hope that everyone understands."

Erin sat down hard, shock written all over her face. Everyone else seemed to just be looking at her or Clemont. Ash was the first to speak up. "Okay. If that's your choice, then we'll all support you, now matter what. Bonnie's safety is obviously important, so as her big brother, it only makes sense that you would want to protect her."

The rest of the group nodded, and Clemont smiled faintly as he sat back in his seat. All it took was a glance at his little sister, set adrift by tragedy, to know he made the right decision.

 **Serena's Perspective – Shalour City**

Fennekin whined and yawned as she rolled over on Serena's lap. The fox Pokemon closed her eyes and curled up in a ball, peacefully drifting off to sleep. Meanwhile, Rotom had found the only wall outlet in the room, and it was humming in content as it re-energized itself.

Serena smiled as she watched her two Pokemon, each in their own world, but couldn't shake the underlying sense of incompleteness that was overwhelming her. In her hand, a note from Looker was crumpled up into a tiny ball. Apparently, he had returned to the international police to report and try and uncover who he had been before he had lost his memories.

 _Zorua should be here._ Serena still didn't understand what had happened. The strange woman had appeared, taken her Pokemon and her pokeball, and then Serena had blacked out. For that matter, she wished she had her tiny baby Pachirisu. How different everything would have gone if that had actually been her Pokemon.

But that wasn't even it. The incompleteness was staring down at where her hand should have been and seeing a stump instead. Where she should have felt fingers, there was nothingness.

A twisted smile curved its way across her face. _At least this way, mom can never make me go Ryhorn racing again. Everyone knows how useless a cripple is._

The door to her room creaked open, and she looked up as Ash walked in. Her crush seemed disappointed with something as he sat down in a chair next to her good hand. "Hey."

Serena frowned as she looked at Ash. "What's wrong?"

Ash sighed. "Clemont's leaving to go back to Lumiose City after camp."

Serena's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

Ash hung his head. "Bonnie's been acting really weird ever since the attack. She acted the same way after Sanpei was kidnapped. He's worried for her."

"Oh." _See? I didn't just screw my own life up, I hurt or killed everyone in that stadium._ She fought to hold back tears as she gently stroked Fennekin with her good hand. She tried to smile at Ash, who was watching her with concern. "Ash, do you hate me?"

Ash's eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously. "No, of course not! I think you're one of the most amazing people I've ever known, and you're one of my best friends! Why would I possible think that?"

 _He really thinks that?_ Serena started to cry as she looked at her arm. "Ash, I- I'm useless! I haven't done anything this entire journey, and now everyone is dead because of me, and I'm a cripple, and, and-"

As she sobbed, Ash got out of his chair and sat by her side on the bed. Being careful not to hit her bad arm, he hugged her tightly. "You're not useless," he whispered fiercely into her ear. "You're amazing, and don't convince yourself of anything otherwise!"

Serena blushed and smiled as she returned his hug. "Ash..."

After a moment, Ash broke away with a smile. "Remember, don't give up until it's over! Summer camp may have been postponed for two weeks, but that means you have time to work on getting better! I'm sure that you'll be able to be up and about by then."

Serena sighed. "Thanks, but that really doesn't change what happened." Her eyes once again drifted back to her arm.

Ash frowned as he grew more serious. "Look, I don't know everything, but I did talk to Erin and Rotom. It's not your fault that J was able to overpower you. She caused all of this, not you."

Serena shook her head. "I could have stopped her. I knew what was going to happen, but I couldn't get past Salamance fast enough. Now, 55,000 are dead and I'm never going to use my left hand again."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

Serena looked up in surprise as Ash looked from Fennekin to Rotom and back. "What?"

Ash looked straight at her. "Serena, how did you take down Salamance?"

She blushed. "Well… I didn't actually do anything. Rotom and Zorua did all of the attacking, only Zorua is gone now..."

"Exactly." She could see Ash's passion for battle rising up in his eyes. "Your Pokemon took down a pseudo legendary, and you didn't even have to lift a finger. Everyone knows that a Pokemon and trainer are stronger together than they ever would be on their own."

Serena's eyes widened. _He's right! I promised myself that I would be stronger. Stronger for me, stronger for my Pokemon, and stronger for him._ "So what are you saying?"

Ash nodded. "Camp starts in ten days. The doctor said that you're getting better really quickly, and that you can start Physical Therapy with your arm tomorrow. When you do, I want you to let me show you how to battle well enough to take down J."

Serena's eyes shone. "You would do that… for me?"

Ash nodded. "Of course I would."

She broke out into a massive smile. "Thank you so much, Ash! I lo-" She caught herself just short of what she had been about to say, turning bright red in embarrassment.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "You what?"

Serena shook her head wildly. "No, nothing!" She tried to come up with a convenient excuse out, completely flustered. "I mean, I'm very tired and might pass out at any second! Good night!"

Ash smiled, and to her great surprise, hugged her again. "Okay. Good night." He rose from her side and walked out of the room, turning out the light on the way out.

Serena slid down in the bed, emotionally exhausted. The throbbing in her arm seemed to have subsided, even if it was only just a little bit.

 _Ash Ketchum, how can I ever tell you how I feel?_

 **Erin's Perspective – Shalour City**

Erin sat on the balcony of her room in the Pokemon Center. Her legs were slung over the concrete barrier between her and the ground ten feet below. Her face was turned upwards as she contemplated the sky above her.

"Erin?" She turned back to see Paul standing behind her. He wore only shorts, his chest visible for the world to see. "What are you doing?"

Erin shrugged as she turned back to the night sky. "I couldn't sleep." The moonlight shone down over them as Paul hoisted himself up over the edge of the balcony and sat down next to her. Her hair seemed to sparkle with the stars as she sighed. "Paul, isn't the sky beautiful?"

The mauve-haired boy shrugged. "It looks normal to me. Am I supposed to see something?"

A light smile played across her lips as she shook her head. "Of course not. I guess that's what's been bothering me."

Paul cocked his head to the side. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Erin sighed. "On my first night here, Serena and I stopped in a Pokemon center on route four. Looking up at the stars, I thought that they were truly amazing. Now, all I see when I look up is the same skies I see every night. I can hardly remember the skies outside my house."

Leaning back on widespread palms, Paul nodded. "You're lucky, then."

"Why?"

"When you remember the skies of your old life, you think of how empty they were in comparison." He looked down at the lit path beneath them. "Since my old life is gone, I can't help but to wonder how full the stars were in the sky I will never see."

Erin leaned towards Paul, and he reached over to brush a strand of loose hair out of her face. "I'm sorry."

Paul shrugged. "No sense in being sorry for something you can't control. This life… the one both of us are living… I wouldn't go back, even if I could."

Erin smiled at him. He seemed so amazing under the stars, brilliant under the light of the moon. "What happened before we left… Was that real?"

Paul nodded. "Of course it was."

For the first time since Geosenge Town, Erin felt completely at peace. She leaned in as her lips collided with Paul's. Nothing else in her world had ever felt so real, so alive. In her strange new world, she finally felt like she was home.

 **[A/N] It's short, but it's also the first chapter in AGES with zero battling. Personally, I found the last scene incredibly peaceful. As far as Serena's injuries go, even if she still had her hand, it would be useless. Pokemon medical technology is amazing, but it can't completely rebuilt a destroyed hand to the extent of what J did.**

 **Now, to respond to reviews,**

 _ **Quagsire12 – Thanks!**_

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – Hopefully the Ash and Serena is satisfactory**_

 **As always, remember to review! We're so close! Pokefan87, signing out.**


	31. Trainers of the Setting Sun

Chapter 31 – Trainers of the Setting Sun

 **[A/N] First of all, some major thanks is in order.**

 **When I started this story, I thought that I would never get a single review. Now we've reached 100, and I'm eternally grateful to everyone who took the time to write a few words about my writing. Yes, there were some flames and that one troll who claimed to be a Somalian CS:GO player, but the majority was either positive or constructive. That being said, thank you to Fenrir's Phantom, jdishd, several guests, Oyashiko, SlytherinBtch, LaLaMachine, Pinkranger13, Quagsire12, I'mmaGenius, Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, LuigiTSG, NatNicole, Skitty4, and Guest98101 for all of your support. Special thanks also has to go to DrafteeDragon and the Amourshipping guest, whose amazing support has been there since nearly the beginning, and to MiraculousInfinityZie, because your review almost always make me laugh when I read them. That being said, review responses are at the bottom.**

 **Also, this chapter is very transitional in nature. Mostly, just the last of the setup I need going into the summer camp arc. It's a little shorter, and parts aren't great. I also decided I needed to timeskip through Serena's training, which is VERY basic. Really, I just need her to get to the point where I don't have to write out typing descriptions and whatnot.**

 **Diantha's Perspective – Kalos Pokemon League**

Diantha sighed as she leaned back against the darkened wall. In the last four days, her life had turned upside down. Gardevoir was under intensive medical care, and she had been helping to rescue people and count the dead after the TE disaster, as it was being called. Now, she and Cynthia had to do a joint press conference as champions to attempt to calm the raging media.

"Diantha." She turned to see the Sinnoh champion and strongest trainer in the world. Her face was obscured by shadow, and the darkness seemed to blend around her. It was a stark contrast, she reflected, to the unblemished white of her synchro bond dress.

"What is it?"

Cynthia reached under her shirt and drew out the pokeball. It had a high grade steel binding covering it and preventing it from opening. The gleam of the light red metal reflected the light of the nearby stage. "When we get on this stage, our job is not to cause panic. Under no circumstances may you mention the adamant orb's absence. Similarly, Zekrom has reverted to the dark stone and he been returned to Unova safely."

Diantha stared at the bound ball. Despite being five years Cynthia's senior, she often felt like a child when she stood near her. "But-"

Cynthia shook her head. "I talked to Alder about the situation. Immediately after this, I am going to Unova to deal with Zekrom. The balance will not be disrupted so long as Reshiram remains dormant." Her eyes softened slightly. "Look, this whole situation is horrible, and Kalos has by far the worst of it. Our job as champions is to inspire hope. Do not let that goal be clouded."

Diantha grimaced. _I_ _already_ _failed at that when I challenged Erin Yvonne to a battle._ "Something is wrong, Cynthia. This is the fourth time in three months that I've delivered one of these conference, and each time has been worse than the one before. I'm worried for Kalos' safety moving forwards."

Cynthia nodded. "You're right, of course. You have my full support, and the support of the Sinnoh region. Just remember that everyone else is feeling the same way right now."

"And now, please welcome champions Diantha of Kalos and Cynthia of Sinnoh to the stage." Cynthia nodded to Diantha, and she strode forwards as Diantha followed behind her with a sigh.

Diantha stopped at the near podium as the press snapped photo after photo of the two. _Here goes nothing._ "Excuse me, may I have all of your attentions?"

The room fell absolutely silent, and she drew herself up as straight as possible as she began to speak. "Four days ago, at 7:18 PM, a series of two explosions ripped through the Tournament Extraordinaire on Route 27. The first was caused by the awakening of the legendary Pokemon Zekrom beneath the stadium, and the second was a series of explosive devices spread around the entire stadium in a manner designed to kill as many people as possible. Zekrom then proceeded to attack the stadium until it was apprehended."

Whispers ran through the crowd assembled as Diantha closed her eyes to stop herself from crying. "At the tournament, 70,000 were in attendance for the finals match. Another 3,000 were gathered outside the stadium to watch. The tournament had five hundred staff as well. At present moment, 55,000 people are confirmed dead or missing. Were it not for our efforts, as well as the efforts of several incredible trainers, the death toll may have been much higher."

"Through our work with the International Police, we have identified the ringleaders in the attack, though we believe that there may be many more people backing them. This shadow organization, called the Syndicate, is headed by the Hunter J, who was presumed dead three years ago in Sinnoh. We are doing everything in our power to apprehend the suspect, who has an outstanding bounty of 15,000,000 dollars on her head for capture. With this attack, we have raised that amount to 30,000,000 dollars for the capture of this incredibly dangerous figure. Her previous charges include more that thirty counts of murder, thousands of theft, thousands of Pokemon abuse, and three counts of intent of worldwide destruction, including her association with Team Galactic during the Sinnoh crisis. She has white hair, and her known Pokemon include a Salamance and a Latios. One of her murders was that of powerful legendary trainer Tobias, who was additionally known to possess a Heatran and a Darkrai. Please be incredibly cautious if you see her. Cynthia?"

The Sinnoh champion nodded as Diantha relaxed ever so slightly. "The Sinnoh region is dedicated to supporting Kalos fully as they work through this terrible tragedy. Zekrom has been returned to Unova and dealt with, and it is no longer a danger to the general public. Now is the time where the people of Kalos must unite and come together, as well as all of the regions. In the face of adversity, we must remain vigilant and stand strong against our enemies. Diantha and I will now be open for questions from the press."

The room exploded in a flurry of raised hands and yells. Cynthia pointed at a reporter towards the back of the room. The man stepped forwards and shouted, "I'm John from the Castelia Reporter! What happened to Zekrom, and how was the legendary dealt with?"

Diantha deferred the question to Cynthia. The Sinnoh Champion smoothly lied as she stared out over the crowd. "With Alder's help, Zekrom has successfully reverted back to its dormant state as the dark stone. Other questions?"

Diantha pointed at a reporter in the front row, who cleared her voice. "I'm Alexa of the Lumiose Press. Diantha, I have three question for you. First, what were the roles of Serena Yvonne and Ash Ketchum in this tragedy?"

Diantha's eyes widened. _Yvonne? No, it can't be._ "Our reports say that Serena was the one who attempted to warn the tournament of the attack over the loudspeaker. Afterwards, she was attacked by J, who nearly killed her. She is currently hospitalized in Shalour City. Ash Ketchum was the winner of the Tournament Extraordinaire. He helped Cynthia and I restrain Zekrom until additional help was able to come."

Alexa nodded as her Helioptile skittered across her shoulders. "Secondly, rumors are going around that you accepted an unofficial challenge in the Shalour gym. Moreover, people are saying that you nearly lost this battle. Are these rumors true, and if so, who was your opponent?"

Diantha's jaw dropped as the question caught her completely off guard. _How does she know about that?_ Fighting to compose herself, Diantha straightened up and frowned. "I did engage in a battle about eight hours before the championship. The trainer's name was Erin Yvonne. The battle was not close. I will offer no further comment."

Alexa frowned, but she pressed on with her final question. "Since this incident, many are calling for you to be replaced by a stronger champion. Allegedly, Malva of your Elite Four has called for your removal and is currently training to challenge you. Additionally, Giovanni, CEO of Sylph Co and Viridian Gym Leader in Kanto as well as Lysandre, CEO of Lysandre Labs have both denounced you as weak and unfit to lead. How do you respond to these accusations, and are you prepared to face Malva with your Gardevoir in the hospital?"

Diantha bristled at the question. "We are going through a difficult time, and unity is essential. I am prepared to beat any challenger that crosses my path. I, Diantha, champion of the Kalos region, will not lose my station in this time of turbulence." _This has gone on for far too long._ "I will take no further questions. Please direct all further inquiries to Cynthia. Thank you."

The Kalos champion swept off of the stage, feeling more defeated than ever.

 **Erin's Perspective – Route 27**

"Bullshit!"

Erin slammed the newspaper down on the table, making Paul and Kirlia jump as she did so. Paul laughed nervously as he watched her face. "Hey, calm down. It's only an article."

"What's wrong?" Erin looked up to see Clemont looking at her.

"Read this." Erin handed him the article as she viciously dug into her breakfast.

Clemont raised an eyebrow as he began to read. "Diantha: Has the Champion lost her edge? In lieu of recent events, the Lumiose Press has come to believe that Diantha is unable to effective govern the Kalos region. Five major attack in three months have solicited no major change inside of the current League administration. Diantha, in an impromptu challenge last week, allegedly was nearly beaten by rising trainer Erin Yvonne, who has a single gym badge on her record. With such major threats to Kalos, the champion cannot afford to show such weakness..." His voice trailed off as he looked back at Erin. "You fought the champion?"

Erin shoved a hunk of Pancake into her mouth and shook her head. "Yeah, but that's beyond the point. Alexa wrote that article! Shouldn't they be trying to support the champion, not trying to hurt her when people actually need her to be strong?"

Paul growled. "People are power hungry fools, Erin. Malva, Lysandre, Giovanni… They all probably see this as an opportunity to promote themselves."

Clemont frowned. "You know, it may not seem like it, but Diantha is my boss. I wonder what would happen if she did lose her championship."

Erin sighed as she finished her breakfast and put the paper down. "I have to go get dressed and stuff. I told Ash that I would help him teach Serena how to battle. Her PT starts in an hour." Paul and Clemont nodded, and Kirlia followed her out as she walked back up to her room.

 _"Lysandre and Giovanni aren't very nice people,_ _are they?_ _"_

 _"No, they aren't."_ Erin grabbed her purse and her Pokemon belt, which she strapped to her waist. _"_ _Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about them unless I have proof_ _that they're doing something wrong_ _, which I don't. The only thing I want to worry about is the best way to use Misty Terrain. Sounds good?"_

Kirlia nodded, and Erin shut the door behind her.

 **Serena's Perspective – Shalour City**

Serena groaned as she slumped down into the wheelchair. "God, why is this so hard?" Her bad arm throbbed from the strain, and she gritted her teeth to keep the pain in.

"Hey, it wasn't that bad. The therapist said you should be able to walk on your own tomorrow." Ash grinned, and she couldn't help but to smile back. He had stayed to watch for her entire session, and had been encouraging the entire time. _He's so perfect. If only he didn't have such a thick skull…_

"Ash! Serena!" Serena looked up to see Erin and Kirlia waving at them. "Come on, the field is this way!"

Ash smirked and leaned down to whisper into her ear. "Let's see if we can beat them there."

"Hey, whaaaaaah!" Serena's scream turned into laughter as Ash sped down the hall towards Erin. Erin rolled her eyes and Kirlia gave her a little wave as they shot past them across the floor towards the battlefield. Ash skidded to a halt, and stopped to push the door open before walking in with Serena.

He then fell over as Erin waved at him. "Oh, come on," she said exasperatedly. "You didn't honestly think you could beat a psychic type here, did you?"

"I guess I didn't think about it," he grumbled.

Serena looked at the gym around her. The room was open with a large dirt battlefield in the center. Various training equipment lined the walls. "So… What do I need to know?"

Ash nodded as Erin leaned against the wall. "Well, for starters, you should probably release your Pokemon."

Serena blushed. _Well, that makes some sense._ Fennekin and Rotom appeared in front of her wheelchair as she pressed the buttons on their respective pokeballs. Fennekin jumped into her lap with a happy yip, and she smiled as she stroked her Pokemon's tail with her hand.

 _"_ _Hey, look at the cripple! See, she can't even stand up on her own, so she needs her little Ash to push her around."_ Rotom spun around her head, merrily humming as it tormented her.

A vein popped in Serena's forehead. "I swear to Arceus, you insufferable little-" She was cut of as Kirlia grabbed Rotom with psychic and slammed him down.

 _"_ _Hey, that wasn't very nice!"_ It floated over to Kirlia, who was staring at it with exasperation. _"What do you mean, you insufferable entitled brat- No, why should I care that you grandfather was a Shuppet- Well, excuse me, bitch queen of the Ralts line- Well, I don't know, you go get fucked by a Ditto and tell me how you feel- Coming from a species where males look like females? Are you kid- Well, fuck you too!"_

"Druddigon, dragon claw!" Erin's dragon grabbed both of the arguing Pokemon, who stared at her in protest. "I'm sick of both of you talking over each other!" She turned her attention to Kirlia, who was squirming in Druddigon's grasp. "Oh, stop complaining. You're a fairy type, this doesn't hurt at all. Yes, he's disgusting, but- No, I don't want to hear how disgusting genderless breeding is. Okay, Dittos probably do have STDs… Ew! Kirlia, that's disgusting!"

Serena and Ash were both staring at Erin and Kirlia strangely. "Erin?" Serena asked hesitantly. "Can you talk to Kirlia?"

Erin looked over at her and gestured for Druddigon to drop the arguing Pokemon. The instant he did so, Kirlia teleported onto her shoulder with a grin. "Yeah, why?"

Ash shrugged. "You know, right now, that doesn't even seem that weird. Anyways, Serena are you ready to start?"

She nodded, and Ash and Erin started to teach her about the finer points of battling.

 **Timeskip**

Over the next week, Serena learned the basics of battling. As Ash and Erin quickly found out, she knew next to nothing about the Pokemon in her possession. Because of that, they decided to focus on her Pokemon and their abilities.

Fennekin had received next to no training since Serena had departed from Sycamore's lab. She still only knew ember, scratch, and hidden power. Ash had her and Serena focus on learning flamethrower. They accomplished this by concentrating ember into a single blast of fire rather than lots of individual bits. Serena also discovered that Fennekin had a serious fear of getting dirty, and a bad tendency to attack whoever messed up her perfect fur. More often than not, it was Ash who ended up on the receiving end.

Rotom had a much more dynamic move set. He knew flash, electro ball, discharge, thunder wave, thunder bolt, thunder, and protect. Ash had wanted to teach the ball of plasma a ghost type move, but after he tried a less than savory strategy to get Ash and Serena together, they gave up on any hope of ever controlling the Pokemon.

Serena was cleared to walk around normally, so long as she didn't use her bad arm. After three days of working together with her two Pokemon, Ash shifted their focus to the ideas behind battling. Most important to this was the type chart, which instantly became Serena's least favorite object in the world. It was hard enough to remember the types of Pokemon and moves, let alone what they were effective against. Through a series of mock battles versus Ash and Erin, she gradually began to learn some of the basic type combinations and type effectiveness.

By the last day, she had managed to partially remember most of the effectiveness of types. Fennekin had learned flamethrower, and the lasting impression of a stylish boot still scarred Rotom. Although they all knew she wasn't finished learning in the slightest, they decided that she was ready to depart for Professor Sycamore's summer camp.

 **Team Rocket's Perspective – Route 12**

"Sir!" Team Rocket jumped to attention as their boss appeared on the hologram.

Giovanni nodded. "Congratulations. You three have actually done something of significant value to Team Rocket. As a result, I have decided to reward you with a mission of even more crucial importance."

Jessie's eyes widened. "Thank you, sir! What exactly is it?"

Giovanni's eyes narrowed. "At Professor Sycamore's summer camp, there will be an incredibly powerful Pokemon who is set to make an appearance. An agent is moving to your location now. You will need to attach this device to the Pokemon before the camp is over. Now, here are the specifics..."

 **Erin's Perspective – Shalour City**

The solemn wind blew its fading gusts over the ocean. A school of Wishiwashi floated past as an Alomomola leaped above the waves. A lone Wingull soared into a passing cloud, floating up on the failing breeze. The sun dipped below the horizon as Kalos returned to night once again.

Erin sighed as she kicked her legs off the top of the Tower of Mastery. "I hate this breeze. I honestly didn't think fall would ever come."

Paul shrugged. "I kinda like winter. I don't have a problem with it."

Kirlia shuddered and hugged Erin. _"I agree with you. We need to catch a fire type to get rid of this stupid cold."_

"I never thought we would be coming back here so soon," Erin sighed. Gurkinn's coffin had been moved until he was ready for burial. Now, all that remained were the dead petals from the flowers well-doers had left in remembrance.

"No sense dwelling in the past." Paul's mauve hair ruffled in the wind, and he stared stoically out over the azure sea.

"Have you talked to Ash yet?"

He shook his head. "No. Every time he tries, I just get up and leave."

Erin couldn't help but to laugh as she shook her head. "Arceus, you're terrible."

A tiny grin cracked his lips. "So, summer camp, huh?"

Erin nodded. "Yeah, and the two of us are going to win for sure!"

Paul's interest seemed to be sparked as he raised his head. "Win?"

"There's a competition between the different bunks. If I remember correctly, there are several competitions. There's Pokevision, Orienteering, Fishing, and the final battles. It's a lot of fun!"

"Good. Then we're going to get to the finals so I can beat Ketchum." Paul looked down at his hand, which he clenched into a fist.

Erin nodded. _He's right, of course. Both of us need to beat Ash, and working together, there's no way we can lose._

 _Ash Ketchum, you better get ready, because we're both coming._

 **Ash's Perspective – Shalour City**

Ash dug his fingers into the white sand beneath him. The roaring wake crashed down over a group of Krabby, and he stared at them blankly. _How long has it been since I used Kingler?_

Really, he hadn't though about anything like that until the tournament. Using all of his old Pokemon again, he had realized just how little he ever really got to talk to them and see them. _When was the last time I ever talked to Bulbasaur? It's got to be years, at this point. Maybe they've forgotten about me._

Trying to push down the pessimism inside of him, he clenched his fist. _Augh! I can't be thinking about this! I'm on a journey to be a Pokemon master! I never give up until it's over!_

 _Maybe it's already over._

He should have rightfully won the Pokemon league years ago. Tobias was absurdly overpowered, and he could have easily won without him in his way. If he had used his A team against Cameron, the match would have been an absolute blowout! Why was he unable to win anything? Sure, he had won the Tournament Extraordinaire and beaten Gary, but it was little consolation, considering how the stadium had blow up right after. _Why am I still battling?_

 _Serena._

When he had lost in Unova, Ash had been just about ready to go home and quit. Five and a half years of traveling, and he was still unable to succeed. It had taken three months of tough introspection to realize that he wasn't done traveling, that he felt like he was still missing something. Arriving in Kalos, he briefly felt re-energized. A new region! New Pokemon! He had jumped off of the tallest building in the entire region and survived, Arceus dammit! But as soon as he lost to Viola, he was right back at the Vertress League, losing to a novice with a Lucario all over again.

Then came Serena. She walked up to him and gave him the spirit to battle again. She was always supporting him, and was possibly the nicest person that Ash knew. She was smart, funny, intelligent, beautiful…

Ash's thought train stopped in its tracks as his eyes widened. "I think Serena is… beautiful?" he murmured to himself, half surprised and half thoughtful.

Sure, he had traveled with a lot of girls, but he had never really considered any of them to be like that. All of them had just felt like sisters to him. It wasn't like he had never thought anything like that; he was sixteen, after all. It was just…

The more he thought about it, the more Ash realized that Serena really was beautiful. _Do I have a crush on Serena?_

He looked down as one of his pokeballs shook and opened on its own accord. He frowned as Froaky appeared in front of him, looking outwards at the sea. "Froaky? What is it?"

The blue frog turned around to face him. His expression was fierce, almost angry, and he stared at Ash in an accusatory way. "Froa Froaky Froak!"

Ash frowned as he looked at his Pokemon. "Froaky? What is it?"

Froaky jumped up and tapped Ash on his forehead. The moment he did so, Ash felt like he was falling away from his body into nothingness. Scenes began to play through his mind unrequited.

 _Froaky, flung aside like a rag doll as a luster purge ripped through him, Sanpei fading away in the distance._

 _Froaky, slamming into the ground with a single hit in the Cyllage City gym._

 _Froaky, shot into a tree during a training battle with Pikachu._

 _Froaky, sitting useless at Professor Oak's lab while his trainer battled on without him._

The visions faded, and Ash found himself standing ankle deep in an endless pool of water. "What on earth?" he wondered out loud.

 _"Ketchum. You have disappointed me."_

Ash spun around to see a strange blue Pokemon walking towards him. It looked a bit like Froaky, but it was much taller and had a long tongue wrapping around its neck like a scarf. "Froaky? Is that you?"

The blue frog shook its head. _"No. I am Greninja, what we might become. What you have the potential to let us become."_

Ash frowned. "What do you mean, potential?"

Greninja bowed his head. _"So you still do not understand."_

"Understand what?"

Greninja narrowed his eyes. _"The enemy found the turning point in this time strand. Sanpei was that turning point. When Sanpei was attacked and subsequently captured, this time strand changed against our favor. The enemy sabotaged us, but we must prevail and become stronger."_

Ash shook his head, hopelessly confused. "I still don't get it. What do you mean, sabotage?"

Greninja sighed and turned away. _"Then I was wrong, and our hope is lost. Farewell, Ash Ketchum. I must leave you, just like I left the others who failed to understand the danger."_

Ash's eyes widened as Greninja began to walk away. "Greninja, wait!" He ran forwards to grab the Pokemon, but as his hand hit him, Greninja collapsed into a puddle of water.

 _No! Froaky won't just leave me, like he left the other trainers!_

 _But could he?_

Ash's hat drifted down to rest on the pool of water as he clenched his fists and looked down. _Froaky. I'm sorry._ He shut his eyes tightly as a single hot tear ran down his face, dripping of to hit the pool.

An explosion of water behind him made him spin around. Behind him, Greninja rose up, covered by a massive spiraling shroud of water. He looked different as he nodded to Ash.

 _"Then perhaps there is still hope for us, Ash-Greninja."_

 **Alain's Perspective - ?**

He had been nothingness, floating in a sea of empty, when he had felt the tug. For the first time, he realized the universe was not devoid of sensation.

Alain's eyes snapped open.

 **[A/N] Summer camp! And as if it wasn't complicated enough already, Diantha and Alain will both have arcs running at the same time!**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 _ **DrafteeDragon – You're back! It did get a bit darker, didn't it? Personally, I think it has been this dark the whole time, and it's just the fact my writing is improving that makes it more so. As for Serena, telling anything about that would be a spoiler. I'm glad you enjoyed the Paul and Erin part, though.**_

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – Things are definitely starting to pick up on the Amour side of things for sure… *winks**_

 _ **Guest98101 – Thank you so much!**_


	32. A Summer of Discovery

Chapter 32 – A Summer of Discovery

 **[A/N] There are two episodes left in the best series that Pokemon has ever seen, and only one of them has the entire gang all together. It's hard to capture how much XYZ has caught my imagination and inspired me to write. Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Pokemon, I can't thank you enough for this amazing series.**

 **My only criticism? Ash only has three Kalos Pokemon as he returns to Kanto, and all of them are Flying types. Who made that decision?**

 **This is another chapter that I had to split in half because of time and length. Second, next month I'm going to be taking the NaNoWriMo challenge (Google it), so I may not have as much time to work on this story. I'll definitely keep trying my best to get you timely updates, though.**

 **Professor Sycamore's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Sycamore smiled into the camera. "Hello! My name is Professor Sycamore, and I research Pokemon Evolution. This week, I will be hosting a summer camp for any young trainers who want to meet other trainers and have a great time bonding with their Pokemon!" He spread his arms wide to the camera and nodded. "I hope to see you there!"

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"We're finally here!" Serena exclaimed breathlessly.

Their group of seven had finally come to the top of the final hill, and were now looking down the slope at the rustic buildings of Professor Sycamore's Summer Camp. The crisp air gave the scene a sense of freshness. The long dirt path sloped down to become sandy beach, and the entire facility seemed to be vibrant and alive.

"It's so beautiful," Elle agreed, and Clemont nodded as well. The three of them along with Ash were at the head of the group. Erin and Paul were deep in some conversation, and Bonnie was blankly staring off into the distance as she walked along behind them.

Ash grinned as Pikachu happily squealed on his shoulder. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Serena nodded, and she led the charge down the hill. All of her troubles of the past three weeks seemed to momentarily go out the window as they ran towards a waving Professor Sycamore. _This week is going to be awesome; I can already tell._

"Hello!" Professor Sycamore called out as they got close to him. "Welcome to summer camp!"

Serena grinned as they mounted the deck outside of the main hall and walked up to him. "Hello!" The rest of the group besides Bonnie and Paul chorused their greetings as well.

The professor looked over their group. "I know all of you except the young man with the mauve hair. Care to introduce me?"

Erin was the first to speak up. "Professor, this is Paul. He's… a friend of mine." The two of them shot each other a glance, and Serena briefly frowned before refocusing on the man in front of them.

Sycamore smiled. "Serena, Ash, Erin, Elle, I trust that all of you have been taking good care of my Pokedexes."

Ash and Elle nodded, but Serena turned beet red. "Well… Mine was kinda destroyed at the stadium."

The mood instantly seemed to sour as Augustine sighed. "I had hoped the TE disaster wouldn't come up, but I suppose it was unavoidable. Nobody here was seriously hurt, were they?"

Everyone looked at Serena as she tried to hide her bad arm behind her back. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to signal for someone else to do it. _Arceus, is everything going to be like this?_

Ash was the one to tell the professor. "Serena was attacked as she was trying to help people get away from the stadium, and her hand was..." He trailed off as Sycamore's eyes widened.

"What happened?"

Serena sighed as she stuck out her arm. She grimaced as Sycamore did a double take before looking at her with pity. "That's horrible. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she muttered as she turned away. She hated the looks in their eyes. It was always the same when they saw her now. The moment they saw her arm, that same gaze of pity and disgust had run through the face of everyone who had seen her stump except for her mom and group. _If I had only been strong enough to stop that tournament, none of this would have ever happened._

Ash shifted next to her and whispered into her ear. "Remember, just ignore it. None of us could care less about your arm. You're still Serena, no matter what other people think."

She looked at Ash and cracked a half smile as Erin tried to change the subject. "Hey, professor, I need to ask you about something."

Sycamore's eyes lingered on Serena's arm before shifting his attention to Erin. "Erin, it's wonderful to see you! You have a Kirlia as well, too! Could I see your Druddigon?"

Erin nodded. "Sure." She took both of the pokeballs on her belt off and released the Pokemon inside. Druddigon and Deerling appeared on the deck in front of her with a flash, and Druddigon roared.

"Hey, we should show you all of our Pokemon!" Ash exclaimed before releasing Froaky, Fletchinder, Hawlucha, and in a surprise for everyone, a large crab that Serena didn't recognize.

Frowning, she grabbed a pokeball and threw it. "Rotom, what's that crab?"

Rotom appeared with a buzz. _"_ _Good morning, princess! How may I best add to your cluelessness this morning?"_

Serena's eye twitched, and Kirlia growled. "I said, tell me about that Pokemon."

 _"Kingler, the Pincer Pokemon. When Kinglers have an immature idiot of a trainer like mine, they have a tendency to pinch the trainer in_ _unfortunate_ _places such as-"_

Everyone sweatdropped as Serena kicked Rotom, with help from Kirlia, hard enough to send her Pokemon flying into the ocean. "Hey Serena, you know you're pretty scary sometimes, right?" Clemont stuttered out.

She grinned sweetly at him. "I know." _Arceus, do I hate that stupid ball of electricity._

Erin rolled her eyes. "Anyways, Diantha told me that I should ask you about something."

The professor nodded. "Didn't I read in the newspaper that you battled her? That's very impressive, especially since you only have one gym badge."

Erin shrugged. "Kirlia and I have this weird bond thing that she called Synchro Evolution. We've had it since she was a Ralts. Diantha said that you would know something about that."

Sycamore's eyes widened. "Really? That's impossible!"

Paul stepped forwards with a frown. "So you don't know anything useful for us?"

The older man shook his head. "No, it's not that. We just had believed that it was only possible through the use of Mega Evolution. There are very few examples of it happening in recent history. Diantha and her Gardevoir, Cynthia and her Garchomp, and an assortment of Psychic and Ghost type trainers across all seven regions are the only recently documented cases. I have never heard of it occurring with a basic stage Pokemon." He scratched the back of his neck. "I do have a bit of research that I can show you, but we honestly just don't know that much about it. If it isn't linked to mega evolution, then it's outside my field of expertise."

Erin glanced at Kirlia before smiling. "Thank you anyways. We'd love to see the research you do have."

Sycamore nodded, and Elle stepped forwards. "Hey, professor, is there any chance that you have any word from them?"

 _Them? Who are them?_ Serena frowned as she watched her friend.

The professor smiled. "Elle, it's good to see you. How is Skitty doing?"

Elle's face drooped a bit, but she smiled anyways. "She's wonderful, thanks. I've been keeping really good care of her."

Augustine nodded. "That's a relief to hear. As for your friends, why don't you ask them yourself? They're going to be coming to camp, and they're supposed to arrive in an hour."

Elle blanched. "What? They're here!" She took a step backwards, and Sycamore frowned in concern.

"Yes, is there something wrong with that?"

The other trainer shook her head vigorously. "No! Nothing!" She sighed and took a deep breath, composing herself. "I mean, it's going to just be lovely to see them again."

Serena and Erin exchanged a glance. _What on earth is going on with her right now?_

Professor Sycamore cleared his throat and looked over at his assistant, who had been quietly waiting behind him the entire time. "Well, it's truly marvelous to hear all of you adventures, but I do need to greet the rest of the trainers as well. Sophie here will lead you each to your bunks. I would love to hear about everything else that has happened later, though. Welcome to Summer Camp!"

 **Team Rocket's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Just as we thought," James said with a smile, "The twerps did show their faces around here."

Team Rocket was wheeling carts of food across the deck as Sophie led the group away to the cabins. They wore the chef uniforms that their new job had provided for them, and their Pokemon belts were wrapped around pristine white aprons.

"Hey, what happened to da blond twoipette?" Meowth asked as he frowned at Serena. "Her hand ain't there anymore!"

Jessie glared at Erin. "Ugh, forget her. That sister of hers is going to pay for what she did to my hair!" Fire seemed to surround her, and James sweatdropped.

"Jessie, the last time she blasted us off was over two months ago now. Surely you aren't still mad about that?"

"Oh yeah?" Jessie screamed. "Now that I have regained my inherent beauty, that stupid twerpette is going to taste my wrath!"

James shrunk down beneath his partner's intense gaze as Meowth shrugged confidently. "Don't foirget why youse lugs are here. We gotta put that boxy thing on that Pokemon for the boss."

Jessie nodded with a maniacal grin. "Of course I haven't forgetten! And while we're at it, let's nab that Pikachu too!"

James looked up thoughtfully. "Of course, but what about the twerpette's Druddigon and Kirlia? Didn't we also see the twerp's Sinnoh rival with them too?"

"Shut up!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Helloooo, all of you lovely chefs!" Team Rocket spun around and shuddered as Katherine, the head chef, walked up behind them. "Look at all of these lovely little trainers around here! Don't you have a meal to be preparing?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth all jumped to attention. "Yes, ma'am!"

The woman smiled. "Well, then. Shouldn't you be getting to it?"

"Right away ma'am!"

Team Rocket took off with the carts and entered the kitchen through the back door. Making their way to their station, Jessie sighed with happiness. "Alright! With our superb cooking skills, there's no way we'll ever be discovered here."

James nodded. "Let's do this!"

 **Ash's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Alright," Sophie said, "This is the bunk for Team Froaky. Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie will all be staying here for the next five days!"

Erin frowned. "Wait, we're not all going to be on the same team?"

Sophie shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, but three is the maximum for a single team. Bonnie doesn't count because she isn't a trainer yet."

Ash grinned. "Hey, do you care because we're going to beat you?"

Erin narrowed her eyes. "Oh yeah? It's on!" The two locked gazes, and Erin didn't even notice that Sophie was walking away until Paul yanked on her hoodie to get her to follow.

Clemont pushed the door open to reveal the darkened interior of the cabin. Two bunk bed were lined up in one corner. A long desk was set out with computers, and a small bathroom was the only other distinctive space in the room.

Serena sighed happily as she ran to the window and rested her hand on it. "Wow, this view is incredible! It's so amazing here!"

Ash nodded, and he walked over to stand next to her at the window. Something felt so right, having just the four of them there. Knowing that it would probably be the last week of their travels as a whole group just served to make it more special. "It really is."

Clemont sighed as he looked at Bonnie. The young inventor had already planted himself at the desk and begun to set up a temporary workspace, spreading out a number of inventions already in progress. Bonnie was lying down on a top bunk, where she was blankly staring at the ceiling. Dedenne was calmly sleeping on her stomach. He sighed as he watched her. "I really hope she's okay," he murmured to the other sixteen year olds.

Serena sighed. "I'm not sure. Before the TE disaster, she used to act like I was her big sister. Now, she's so distant and in her head that it's like she doesn't even notice that I'm there."

Ash frowned. "I think that we all hate to see her like this. I just wonder if there's something more to it than what happened."

Clemont and Serena both looked at him oddly. "What do you mean?"

Ash shrugged. "I'm not sure, but her behavior isn't normal even if she has some form of PTSD. Clemont, is there any kind of invention that you have that could attempt to find out what's going on inside of her head?"

The inventor nodded. "As a matter of fact, there is. It's not fully constructed right now, but I can absolutely have it ready for use by tomorrow. Maybe we can try to figure out if you're right, Ash."

Ash nodded. "That sounds good. I think we should wait for the others to get back before we go out and explore." He stared out of the window at the beautiful beach spread out before them.

"You know, that's a good idea," Serena said in agreement.

Clemont watched the two of them with interest. "Hey, does this bring back any memories of your time at camp all of those years ago?"

Ash nodded with a smile, thinking of the little girl with the straw hat that he had met in the woods all of those years ago. "Of course I do!" He turned to Serena. Her blond hair reflected the sunlight as he looked at her. "Let's make this summer camp even more memorable than the one we went to all of those years ago."

Serena briefly glanced down at her bad arm before blushing deeply and nodding. "Right!"

 **Mairin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Chespie sighed as he brushed a tear off of Mairin's face with a vine whip. "Chesp?"

Mairin shook as she tried to fight off her sobs. _Alain is still gone._ For the past two weeks, she had been moping around, hoping that somehow, Alain would miraculously come back to find her.

Charizard's pokeball sat in front of her on her pillow. The lizard Pokemon had taken a week and a half to mostly recover, even with the amazing powers of modern medicine. When he had woken up, he had no memories of what had happened. Mairin had tried to consolidate him, but he had fallen into a deep funk and refused to listen to her, only making her more certain of what she already knew.

 _Alain is gone._

She had heard nothing from Lysandre since the TE incident. Alain was still in the grasps of the Syndicate, and there was absolutely nothing that she could do about it.

Chespie perked up as the door swung open, and Mairin could her a voice outside of her cabin. "Alright, Elle, you'll be staying here."

Mairin closed her eyes and rolled over to stare at the wall, grabbing Charizard's pokeball as she did so. Her hand still bore Alain's black glove, and she could almost imagine that it was his hand, held out before her for her to grab. _I though I already told Sycamore! Alain is my only buddy. Nobody can take his place._

"Hello?" Mairin tried to hold all of her hurt and distress inside as she rolled over to look at the other trainer who would be staying with her.

The girl was tall, and she looked to be about four or five years older that Mairin. Her brown hair hung down just past her ears in a pixie cut. Her green eyes were both kind and concerned as she looked down at Mairin. "Hi, I'm Elle. What's your name?"

Mairin sniffed, and Chespie patted her arm comfortingly. "I'm Mairin." Closing her eyes, she rolled back onto her back.

Elle frowned as she looked at Mairin, who was trying to ignore the trainer who she could see out of the corner of her eyes. She settled down at the desk in the room and threw a backpack onto a bed. Reaching down to her Pokemon belt, she grabbed a ball and released a small cute cat Pokemon onto the desk. Grabbing a hairbrush, she lightly began to brush her Pokemon with stormy eyes.

Curiosity overwhelmed Mairin's depression, and she sat up and watched Elle groom her Pokemon. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Elle looked over with a surprised expression. "Yeas, how could you tell?"

Mairin's face fell. All that she could think about was Alain, stormily staring off into the distance as he walked down the road. He always had that expression, whether he was happy or sad, and over time she had learned to understand its nuances. "I just know. What is it?"

Elle shrugged. "There's a girl who's going to be at this camp that I don't particularly want to see. You don't seem great either. How about you?"

Mairin shook her head before looking back at the cat on the desk. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed her Pokedex and pointed it at the cat.

SKITTY, THE KITTEN POKEMON. SKITTY WILL GET COMPLETELY CAUGHT UP IN PURSUING ANY MOVING OBJECTS THAT CATCHES ITS EYE.

Elle smiled kindly at her. "She's really nice, I promise. Want to pet her?"

Mairin nodded, and she stood up and stroked Skitty's fur, who purred contently. "She's so soft."

Elle nodded. "Thanks, I pet her every day. Wanna see my other Pokemon also?"

Mairin shrugged. "Okay, I don't see why not."

Elle grabbed her other two pokeballs and released two more Pokemon. One was clearly a grass type, with three leaves protruding from her head. The other seemed to be a blob of cotton candy. A quick Pokedex scan showed them to be a Petlil and a Swirlix. "How about you?"

Mairin released Bebe, who happily hovered around her head, but she hesitated to release Charizard. _He probably doesn't even want to be released._ Clenching the pokeball tighter, she tried to smile and failed.

Elle smiled to try and get her to smile back. "What's in the last pokeball?" Mairin shook her head and turned back to the wall, and Elle sighed. The older girl stood up and looked down at Mairin. "Well, I know I just met you, but if you need to talk about something, I'll be here. I'm going to take a shower, and when I get out, I'm going to meet up with the rest of my friends. Wanna come?"

Mairin noncommittally shrugged. "I guess so."

Elle sighed, and as the bathroom door slammed shut behind her, Mairin slumped down feeling even more defeated that before.

 _Alain… Where are you?_

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Erin held her outrage in until Sophie was out of sight.

"Kirlia, destroy that sign."

The sign in question was a cartoon rendition of a Dialga that had the Institute's mark inscribed on it under the light of hidden power. Kirlia's eyes glowed, and the sign exploded into a million shreds of wood that flew outwards in every direction.

Paul raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you think that may have been a bit extreme?"

Erin shot him a look. "Are you kidding me? Cerys has screwed with every single damn part of my life. I'm not letting her keep this one."

Paul shrugged as he pushed open the door to their cabin. Erin returned Deerling and Druddigon before flopping down on a bed. Kirlia sighed as she settled into a meditative pose in the center of the room. _"You know, you really should try to enjoy this week. We can go back to worrying about the Syndicate and Cerys_ _afterward."_

Erin nodded. _"You're right, of course. It sucks that_ _Sycamore knew nothing about Synchro Evolution, though."_

Kirlia shrugged. _"Honestly, I don't really care. Our bond is amazing as it is."_

Erin hummed in agreement, and the two briefly settled into a bonded state where they simply reveled in each other. Paul walked over and sat down next to Erin, and she put an arm around him. They were finally able to enjoy a moment of true peace after everything that had happened. It was gratifying, in a way.

Paul was the first to break away. "Serena and the others are probably waiting for us right now. We should probably head out and meet back up with them."

Erin nodded, and she and Kirlia simultaneously got up. Paul dropped his backpack and put a hand on his Pokemon belt, and the trio left their cabin.

Once they got to the Froaky cabin, Erin lightly knocked on the door. Ash burst out excitedly, causing Erin to stumble backwards in surprise. "You're finally here! We're missing an epic battle down there!"

Erin laughed in surprise as Serena walked out after Ash as he sprinted down to the beach. "Arceus. Serena, you need to teach that kid some restraint."

Serena blushed and smiled. "He's just a bit excited, that's all. Let's go after him." The two girls started to run after Ash, with Paul and Clemont nonchalantly following behind.

When they found Ash, he was excitedly watching a battle between a trainer with a Squirtle and a Trainer with a Conkeldurr. Erin's eyes widened as she saw they Squirtle's trainer. _Hey, isn't that Tierno?_

Tierno grinned as his opponent screamed, "Stop it! Your Pokemon is moving way to much."

The boy shrugged. "Hey, we just keep on moving and grooving! That's my battle style!" He jumped onto his head and did a spin, and Squirtle did the same in front of him.

 _"How is that possible?"_ Kirlia asked curiously.

Erin shrugged. _"It's Pokemon. I've learned not to question it."_

The other trainer frowned. "Fine! Conkeldurr, hammer arm!"

"Skull bash!"

Conkeldurr drew back his arm to swing at Squirtle. Before he could do so, Squirtle rammed him in the chest as his head glowed white, sending the fighting type flying backwards in a dead faint.

The other trainer sighed as he returned Conkeldurr. "Hey, that was a good battle! Your battle technique is a new one on me."

Tierno grinned. "Hey, thanks dude! I appreciate that. You weren't half bad, either."

Serena, who had been restraining Ash, was unable to hold him back any longer. Erin sighed as the raven haired boy lunged forwards in front of Tierno. "Wow, that was amazing! Can I battle you now?"

Tierno sweatdropped. "Uh, sure. I'm Tierno, what's your name?"

Ash looked eager to respond, but Serena walked up and lightly punched him in the arm with her good arm. "Sorry about the disturbance, Tierno. His name is Ash, and he's just a little battle crazy. I'm Serena Yvonne, by the way."

Tierno looked her over. He looked like he was about to start fawning over her, but then his eyes settled on her bad arm. Instantly, his demeanor changed. "Cool, it's nice to meet you." Suddenly, his brow furrowed as he looked intently at Serena's face. "Wait a second. You wouldn't happen to have a sister named Erin Yvonne, would you?"

Serena shifted her arm behind her back, hesitating. "Uh..."

Erin frowned as she stepped forwards to stand next to Serena. "Yeah, why? I'm Erin, if you care."

Tierno's eyes widened, and he fell to one knee as he stared up at Erin. "Wow! I can't believe that you're really Erin Yvonne! Your beauty is even more radiant in person. What should I do? Shauna!" Tierno took off at a full sprint.

Erin sweatdropped as he left. "That was weird. Why does he know me?"

"Who cares?" Erin looked over at Serena in shock. The comment had carried the most venom that she had heard in Serena's voice since the first day they had met. Ash, Paul, and Clemont all stared at her in shock, and Erin took a step backwards.

She didn't get a chance to respond, however, as Tierno dragged Shauna back over to where she was standing and yelled, "Look! It's Erin Yvonne!"

Erin raised an eyebrow as Shauna smiled and tilted her head to the side. "Wow! I can't believe it's really you!"

Kirlia teleported onto Erin's head and peered down at Tierno and Shauna curiously. _"I hate to say this again, but humans are really bizarre."_

 _"Believe me, you don't have to tell me that twice."_

"Oh wow, you have a Kirlia too! That's amazing!" Shauna gushed.

Erin took two steps back and threw her hands up. "Okay, I'm going to need one of you to explain to me how you know me. What's going on here?"

Shauna stopped dead. "You're kidding me right?"

Paul shook his head. "Nope. None of us have a clue what you're talking about."

Shauna sweatdropped. "You mean, you haven't even seen your own video?"

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Serena watched with confusion as Shauna typed something into the search bar of the computer of the Pokemon Center. _Who does these people think they are anyways?_ _Is this really all about my arm?_

It wasn't like Erin had to worry about that, anyways. Tierno and Shauna were all over her, showering her in complements and asking her about her Pokemon. Why should she get all of the praise and recognition?

 _It's almost like she already knows them._

The thought gave Serena pause. Erin still hadn't told her where she was from, or who she was. Maybe it was time to press her on it again.

"There!" Shauna explained. "This is Pokevision!"

Erin's eyes widened in recognition, as did Serena's. "That's right!" she exclaimed as she looked meaningfully at Serena. "We made those videos before we got to Cyllage City. I had completely forgotten about them!"

Shauna raised an eyebrow. "How could you possibly have forgotten about it? That video made you famous! Gotta Catch 'Em All has got to be my favorite song ever!"

She clicked on the video, and Erin's voice filled the Pokemon Center. Serena nearly fell over as she saw the view count. "Erin! You have 11 million views?"

Erin frowned and looked over at Paul, who shrugged. Clemont shuddered as he realized the implications of the video. "Wait a second. Does that mean people have seen my video?"

Serena shrugged. "I guess so."

Tierno disappeared into his own world as the chorus played. "Socutesocutesocutesocute…"

Shauna grinned as she got between Serena and Tierno. "Don't mind him. He's just a little bit obsessed with you. I have to agree with him though. You really do look amazing in that video, and even better now! That white is absolutely gorgeous on you."

Erin blushed and pushed her hair up into her face. "Thanks. I had no idea..."

Serena groaned and turned away, pulling her sleeve down as far as possible. _If I didn't have this stupid useless arm and a false sister, I would be the one Shauna was obsessed with._

Rotom's pokeball opened of its own accord, and the electric type phased out instantly and hovered up to Serena's ear. _"I didn't think it was possible, but it seems like we've found someone even sluttier that you! Bravo, I say!"_

Serena's face twisted as she launched an uppercut into Rotom's frame and sent it flying into the ceiling. "Nobody asked for your opinion, rust bucket."

Everyone spun around to stare at Serena as Rotom called down. _"Okay, I take it back! You're still worse that her! Happy?"_

"Serena, what's wrong?" Ash called as he ran over. Shauna and Tierno were both staring at Rotom with open mouths.

Serena fought down her anger and rejection as her crush walked up to her. Trying to smile in what looked more like a forced grimace, she said, "Oh, Rotom was just being himself. He needed someone to set him straight."

Rotom collapsed to the floor, and Shauna turned her attention back to Erin. Ash sighed as he looked over. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

Serena smiled at him, a real one this time. It was amazing how no matter how terrible she felt, he was already able to draw a smile from her. "Ash..." Unable to stop herself, her eyes flew down to her arm.

Ash sighed. "I know, all of this sucks right now. Do you want to talk about it later?"

Serena nodded, and she returned Rotom as they walked back over to rejoin the rest of the group. Shauna was busy showing off her Bulbasaur, and Kirlia and Chespin were talking to it seemingly without effect. She tensed, then relaxed confusedly as Ash reached over and squeezed her hand behind her back.

It always struck her how in her moments of strife, Ash was always there. She supposed it was the only thing keeping her going, in a way.

 **Elle's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Elle frowned as she glanced at the young girl dragging her feet behind her.

Mairin was clearly depressed. Moping around in the cabin alone at a camp filled with interesting people and Pokemon to meet wasn't going to work anymore, as far as she was concerned. She felt so sad to Elle, lost in something that she couldn't even begin to comprehend.

 _It's not like I haven't been there before._

Skitty's pokeball shook at her side, and Elle took the soft vibration as a sign of reassurance. _No, I'm wrong. I've moved past that, and I'm perfectly happy with my Pokemon as they are now. I can deal with her._

 _Can't I?_

Tearing her thoughts away from the past, Elle sighed and turned to Mairin. "So I guess we're a team for this week, huh?"

A non-committal shrug was her only response.

Elle's heart sank. "No? Nothing? No acknowledgment of our partnership?"

The young girl's head snapped up, and she snarled, "Alain is my only partener! Not you, not Sycamore, not nobody!" Grabbing the black glove on her hand, she hung her head and sprinted down the path, leaving Elle speechless watching her go.

 _Who's Alain?_

Before she could ponder the thought or chase after Mairin, a familiar voice rang out behind her. "Elle? Is that really you?"

Elle's heart sank as she turned around to see a red haired boy with a camera around his neck walking up to her. "Hey, Trevor!"

Trevor's face broke out into a smile. "Hey, it is you!" When he got close enough, he hugged her as an excited Charmander dashed after him. "How have you been?"

"Fine, I guess. What have you been up to lately?" Elle stuck her hands into her pockets as she broke away from the boy.

Trevor grinned as he looked down at his camera. "I've been taking a ton of pictures of really awesome Pokemon. Do you remember how when I was really little, I saw that awesome electric bird?"

Elle smiled faintly as she thought back to her childhood in Santalune City. "Yeah, I do. Did you see it again?"

Trevor nodded. "Come on! I want to go show it to Tierno and Shauna! Have you seen them yet?"

Elle bit her lip and turned away. _Fuck. I knew this would happen as soon as Sycamore said that_ she _would be here._ "No."

Trevor's face fell. "Oh, are you still mad about what happened? Didn't Tierno and I tell you that was just Shauna being… well… Shauna?"

Elle groaned. "Ugh… Trevs, didn't I tell you that wasn't about that?" Trying desperately not to think about what had happened, she changed the subject. "Hey, Charmander looks great!"

Trevor hung his head. "Well, actually he got into another fight this morning."

Elle cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean, another fight?"

Trevor shot her a funny look. "Didn't Tierno or Shauna tell you? He's been super feisty ever since I got him."

She sighed. "Yeah, well, I'm sure they would have if I had seen either of them since we were all together in Lumiose City."

Trevor's jaw dropped. "Really?" She nodded. "Then we definitely need to find them. How did you manage to not see any of us for four months?"

Elle shrugged. "I spent a week in a remote bit of Santalune Forest where I caught a Petlil and a Swirlix, then I was at the beach for three weeks doing nothing. Since then, I've been traveling with another group of trainers."

He jumped excitedly. "Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun. Don't you want to tell the others about it with me?"

She sighed. "I guess so?"

Trevor started to walk down the path. "Come on! Shauna said that they were at the Pokemon center! Let's go!"

Elle's stomach churned apprehensively as she followed after Trevor. _Honestly, after that day, I never wanted to see any of them again. Why is this all happening now?_

Pushing her doubts to the back of her mind, Elle followed Trevor down the road and into the Pokemon Center. Trainers of all sorts were gathered around, but Trevor pushed through them excitedly. Elle frowned at him. "Where are we going?"

The orange haired boy grinned. "Shauna texted me, and said they were upstairs. Apparently there's someone they want me to meet right now."

Before they got to the stairwell, Charmander's head shot up and he sprinted ahead, springing up the stairs at record speeds. "Oh, not again! Charmander, stop!" Trevor took off after his over energetic starter, and Elle laughed as she followed close behind.

Her laugh caught in her throat and saw the people in front of her.

Tierno and Shauna were busy talking to Serena and the rest of her group. She stopped short hesitantly, and Trevor stared at her in confusion. The entire group fell silent until Tierno broke the silence. "Elle! What are you doing here?" He ran over and lifted Elle up in a bear hug before looking over at Trevor. "Hey, Trevs. What's happening?"

Trevor nodded excitedly at him. "It's incredible! I ran into Elle on the way here! Now it'll be just like old times, right?"

Tierno nodded. "Yeah, totally. Elle, you ready for this?"

Distractedly, Elle nodded. She would have said something, but she was far too busy staring daggers at Shauna, who was glaring right back at her.

Ash was the one who broke through the tension. "Elle… Do you know these guys?"

Elle blushed and looked at her feet. "Yeah, we all grew up in Santalune City together."

Serena frowned. "I didn't know about that."

Elle frowned at her. Actually, she had told her; she just had never mentioned them by name.

 **Flashback – Route 7**

 _"Yeah, but what do you mean?" Serena was confused._

 _"Well, when I was a kid, I had these three great friends. We did all kinds of stuff together." Elle seemed to be briefly lost in thought. "Well, when we were fourteen, about a year ago, we were given the opportunity to get our starter Pokemon. My friends were each able to choose a Kanto starter, but I was left out. Professor Sycamore was nice, though, and he let me have this Skitty that he had caught."_

 _Serena was confused. "So what went wrong?"_

 _"Well, my best friend became a bitch, that's what happened. She was a jerk where she used to be supportive, and neither of my other friends noticed. One night, it was just too much, so I got up and left. I haven't seen any of them since." Elle's words caught on the last sentence._

 _Serena was at a loss for words. She couldn't even imagine just leaving Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie like that. "I'm sorry."_

 _"Don't be." Elle forced out a laugh. "I'm better off without them anyways."_

 **Present – Summer Camp**

Elle couldn't help but to sigh as she thought back to that night. Everything had been so simple back then, before the TE disaster and now this. Their travels between the tournament and Cyllage City had been the best moments of her life, and she desperately hoped that they could still recapture how amazing that had been. Really, the entire time Erin had been gone, she could only help but to muse on.

But it was too late to remind Serena of that now, because Trevor had just noticed Erin and his eyes had gone wide. "No way! You're Erin Yvonne!"

"So you've seen Pokevision too?" Clemont asked.

"Of course I have!" Trevor nodded. "Shauna kept telling me about this really pretty girl who had this great voice. I must have listened to that song a hundred times."

Erin blushed and inched closer to Paul. "Oh, wow. I had no idea."

The conversation would have continued, but Sycamore's voice came on over the loudspeaker. "Alright, everyone! Please proceed down to the main hall so we can start our opening ceremony!"

 **Korrina's Perspective – West Kalos Coast**

It was like trimming the edge of an overgrown tree.

Settling into her meditative state, she found the threat connecting her to Lucario. It was frayed and weak, with bits coming off that stopped their bond from functioning properly.

All it took was a single cut.

One snip, and Lucario's disobedience and her cluelessness were forgotten. Another, and she was able to let the memory of Erin Yvonne and Paul fade away. One cut severed her failures with Riley, her failures at the gym, her failures to learn.

But there was still a knot in the rope, so large that it completely blocked all of her contact with Lucario. It took all of her willpower to reach out with mental arms and grab the rope at either end. A single tug, and the devastation and hurt, the loss and anger, her hatred of herself and Erin and Riley and Geosenge Town and the world was gone.

One tug, and Gurkinn was truly gone.

For the first time in her life, Korrina found herself truly connected with her strongest partner, and she was woefully unprepared.

She was vaguely away that she was screaming as a wave of aura washed over her senses, drowning her in power. She went under in a tidal wave of blue, floundering around in the endless waves with no sight of the shore. Then, a hand grabbed her and pulled her out onto a safe haven of an island.

Korrina marveled at their connection as she stared at her partner Pokemon in front of her. Now that she knew herself, she could finally begin to understand the Pokemon who had been in front of her the whole time.

 _Now I truly understand, Grandfather. I understand why you let me go. If I had been readily given this power without the sacrifices I made, I would have never found this bond with my Pokemon._

Finally, acceptance overcame her. The blue around her gradually faded away, and as she came to she realized that she was violently sobbing, and Lucario was holding her steady.

Riley smiled as he stepped in front of her. "Congratulations, Korrina. You are now ready to try Mega Evolution with your Lucario."

 _I hope that I have become the proud successor you always wanted me to be. I hope that someday, I can see you again._ _I love you, Grandfather._

 _Thank you._

 **[A/N] I adore the Korrina part. I think there's a certain beauty with how to come to terms with yourself, and that she needed to do that to unlock Mega Evolution. I think the anime did that, but they downplayed it so much with the Lucario v Mawile battle that it didn't seem nearly as important.**

 **Elle also knows Shauna, Tierno and Trevor from childhood. If you didn't recognize the flashback, it was chapter 10 right when Serena meets her. Elle's backstory has a bit more to it than you might think.**

 **Serena is still struggling with her arm and her crush. Ash is still struggling with his battle conscience and his crush.**

 **Honestly, this is the first chapter since Ash's Cyllage gym battle that has been so close to cannon. Kinda weird to have to start rewatching episodes again like I did for most of Part One.**

 **TRio is back up to their old tricks again.**

 **Next part, the second half of this episode as well as Alain, Diantha, and more Korrina. Thanks to the Amourshipping Guest for reviewing!**

 **Sorry about that ramble. I'm pretty sure that it was mostly incoherent. Anyways, please review! Pokefan87, signing out.**


	33. Awakening

Chapter 33 – Awakening

 **[A/N] This chapter was painfully hard to write. No spoilers, but some parts I put a lot more time into than others. The story turns, and the story goes on.**

 **Fitting that as night falls, there always comes time for an awakening.**

 **Ash's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Ash desperately tried to hold back a blush and focus on Professor Sycamore instead. Nobody in the group had wanted to sit on the side of the table facing away from the stage, so they had all crammed onto a single bench. As it turned out, ten people did not fit on one bench, so he found himself squished in between Clemont and, more importantly, Serena.

"Ash," Serena hissed urgently.

His eyes widened and he turned a similar shade of red to Fletchinder's feathers. "What? I wasn't-" _Deny, deny, deny, deny…_

She looked at him with a pained expression. "What are you talking about? You're leaning on my bad arm!"

Ash's eyes widened, and he immediately yanked himself away into Clemont's side, who looked at him with annoyance. "Ash, what was that for?"

Pikachu leaped onto the table and crossed his arms. "Pikapi, pikap pi pika."

Ash rolled his eyes at his long time partner and groaned. "Arceus, I'm useless today."

Serena frowned as she massaged her arm with her hand. "You're not useless. You're Ash."

"You know, Serena, that's a very astute deduction," Clemont said as he nodded thoughtfully.

Ash sighed. "Gee, thanks you guys. Team Froaky, ganging up on its own member."

"But you're so easy to gang up on," Serena giggled, and she poked Ash's nose.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Could I have your attention, please?" The room fell silent as everyone looked up at Professor Sycamore, who had walked up to the lectern. He smiled and spread his arms wide. "I'd like to take this moment to welcome to summer camp! How are we all doing so far?"

A chorus of cheers burst out among all of the trainers, and Ash added his voice to the mix.

Sycamore nodded, but his smile momentarily became a frown. "I'm pleased that all of you were able to make it here. Unfortunately, not everyone was as lucky as you were. Five campers were unable to make it due to the delay. Additionally, Tammy Bryant lost her life during the TE disaster as a result of the blast. In respect for her and all of the lives lost in this horrible tragedy, I would like to ask for a brief moment of silence."

The room fell deathly silent. Ash could feel Serena tense up next to him, and he put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She wrapped her arm around his back and rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel her ragged breaths, and he leaned down and whispered, "It's not your fault. You did everything you could have done."

Serena shook her head on his shoulder as Sycamore began to speak again. "Now, each day will have an activity that each team will compete in. You should already know your team, or your cabin mates. The winner gets ten points, second gets seven, third gets three, and everyone else gets none. Today's activity will be an introductory battle! No points will be awarded, so you may choose whoever you want to battle."

The professor stepped down from the podium as the room burst into chaos. Ash felt Froaky's pokeball twinge at his side, and he knew his Pokemon was ready for battle. He thought back to his conversation with Froaky yesterday. _Don't worry, Greninja. I won't fail you._

Tierno popped up in front of Ash. "Hey Ash, still wanna battle?"

Ash shook his head, deciding he needed to finally needed to make his move. "No, sorry, I'm already battling someone else."

Tierno collapsed to the floor as Ash pushed past him and finally got to Paul. The mauve haired boy looked decidedly shifty as he finally cornered him. "Paul, you're going to be my opponent, whether you like it or not."

Paul's eyes flashed. "Yeah, well why should I bother battling a pathetic trainer like you?"

 _God, I forgot how annoying it is to talk to him._ "Look, drop the act. I'm not a complete idiot anymore, you know. I can tell that you're avoiding me."

Paul shrugged. "Whatever. Your loss."

 _Whatever. Froaky and I will definitely show them._

 **Elle's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Elle."

Elle whipped around to find herself face to face with Shauna. "Oh! Hi?" Her voice was just a bit too high, she thought, and maybe too squeaky. Arceus, she needed to work on that.

Shauna crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned on one leg. "So I assume you've just been moping around for the past four months?"

"No!" Elle shook her head. "I mean, I've gotten… well… around, I guess."

Shauna smirked. "So nothing, am I right?"

She'd been talking to her former friend for all of thirty seconds, and she was already fed up with her. "It's not like you've been doing anything better since you threw your little fit, now is it?" Elle's voice dripped venom, and Shauna glared at her.

"Shut up. Doofus and Trevs still don't know about that. And for your information, I've been doing showcases."

Elle's breath caught in her throat. _But- She's doing them… without me?_

Shauna sneered. "See? I can do thing perfectly fine without you, _Ellebelle._ See if you're still 'getting around' when I'm Kalos Queen."

Elle's momentary devastation turned to fury as Shauna turned tail and began to stalk away. "It doesn't have to be like this, you know!"

Shauna turned around, and for the briefest moment, her face seemed to have a hint of longing. "Yes. Yes it does."

"Then battle me."

Shauna smiled condescendingly at her and nodded. "Whatever you say."

Elle squeezed her eyes shut and tried to drown herself in the past as Shauna left without another word. _Arceus, it wasn't always like this._

 **Flashback**

 _"Elle, honey! Shauna is here!"_

 _A ten year old girl came tumbling down the stairs to the first floor of her small house as the door swung open. "Yay! Shauna's here!" Her long hair reached down to her back as she barreled into her friend as she walked through the door._

 _The two went up to Elle's room. Shauna made a beeline for the chest at the foot of her bed. "Come on, Elle! Let's pretend to be Kalos Queen again today!"_

 _Elle grinned in delight as a pile of dresses spilled out of the trunk. She and Shauna would be queen together, someday!_

 **Two Years Later**

 _Trevor and Tierno sat in the middle of the park and tried to hold back yawns as twelve year old Elle and Shauna danced around in front of them. The two girls twirled around and pretended to launch imaginary Pokemon into the air. At the end of their performance, the two stuck a pose. "Tada!"_

 _Tierno and Trevor both dutifully clapped. "That was pretty good, guys. Really top notch stuff." Tierno yawned._

 _Elle grinned at Shauna. "Wasn't that great? If we keep that up, there's no way we can loose!"_

 **Two Years Later**

 _Elle lounged on her bed as a fourteen year old Shauna busily did her hair in Elle's mirror. Years ago, the old toy chest had been replaced with a vanity that reached to the ceiling. Shauna tugged at her new ponytails. "How do I look?"_

 _Elle shrugged, her long hair strewn around her head. "I told you already, you always look amazing. Nothing you do to your hair will change that."_

 _Shauna shook her head. "No, but did you see Aria, the new Queen? I need to look the best I can so we can beat her." She looked over at Elle worriedly._

 _Elle smiled confidently back at Shauna. "Don't worry about it. I know we still haven't gotten our Pokemon, but when we do, I'm positive that we'll beat her together!"_

 _Shauna smiled warmly. "You're right. We can do it together."_

 **Two Years Later**

 _Tears streamed down Elle's face as she sprinted away from Lumiose City, back to Santalune. Her brand new Skitty's pokeball was clutched tight in her hand, and her brand new pixie cut streamed behind her head as she ran._

 _Together was bullshit. Kalos Queen was a one girl occupation, and she had been naive enough to think otherwise._ _Never again. Today would never happen to her again._

 _She could forget Shauna. It wasn't like_ _they were ever going to be Kalos Queen, anyways._

 _Her dreams fell away from her as she disappeared into the darkness of the forest._

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"What's up with Elle today?" Serena whispered into Erin's ear.

The two watched as Shauna and Elle fiercely whispered to each other until Shauna stalked off. Elle, looking thoroughly defeated, sank back down onto the bench. Erin shook her head. "I have no idea." Serena sighed, and Erin looked down at her arm. "How are you doing?"

She shrugged. "Okay, I guess?"

Erin grinned at her. "Hey, are you ready to keep going with your training?"

Serena's stomach dropped. "Oh, Arceus. You want me to battle you?"

A mischievous glint crossed her sister's eyes. "Unless you're afraid… It's not like I'm forcing you, or anything."

Serena glared at Erin. _I wanted this! Why would I be scared?_ "You're on."

 **Diantha's Perspective – Kalos Pokemon League**

"This is bad, Diantha."

Diantha grimaced as Cynthia stared worriedly into her side of the video call. "What did Alder say?"

Cynthia groaned as she leaned back in her chair. "Ever since World War Two, the relations between the pan-Japanese regions and United Regions of America have gone downhill. After that damn fool cut off contact with your region, we've had virtually no diplomatic relations. If that idiotic man wasn't such an isolationist, then we wouldn't have anything to worry about."

The Kalos champion frowned as she heard Wikstrom and Drasna murmur something behind her back. "What did he say?"

Cynthia shook her head. "We have 72 hours to release Zekrom in Unova and leave the region. Apparently the entire region is furious that their most highly regarded legendary was caught, or even in Kalos in the first place. Drayden, the Opelucid gym leader, tried to kill me and take Garchomp. I had forgotten how puny Haxorus were until I crippled his."

It was moments like these that made Diantha seriously terrified of the Sinnoh champion. "And if we don't?"

Cynthia frowned as she fidgeted with her mega stone. "Unova, Orre, and Alola are threatening to cut off all contact with Sinnoh, Johto, Kanto, Hoenn, and Kalos. That means sanctions on all American companies who try to come abroad. That means zero foreign aid for Kanto. Alder also mumbled something about telling Orre to get Zekrom back, but that means nothing."

Diantha stood up abruptly. "We can't do that! Thirty percent of Kalos' economy comes from Unovan tourism and our imports and exports with them. That would be enough to absolutely destroy all of our tourism and business."

Cynthia nodded. "However, we can't just release Zekrom. Believe me when I say I tried to find a solution. If we just let it go, it will likely cause even more havoc than the TE disaster. I even tracked down Colress, one of the Team Plasma scientists, and asked him if he knew any way to revert Zekrom back to the Dark stone without the Hero of Ideals. He said there wasn't. We have no good alternatives."

"Could refusing lead to war?"

Cynthia frowned. "I'm not sure. Alder is a self proclaimed pacifist, but if his entire region wants to go to war, I don't know if we can refuse them. Orre is useless militarily. Unfortunately, Alola has an insanely powerful navy and air force. If it comes to that, I don't know if we can hold them off. And of course, Unova has Victini hidden away somewhere. We can't afford another V-Create."

Diantha shuddered. "The last time they used Victini, they destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki and plunged Kanto into poverty for decades. Talking like this is absurd. Kalos will not go to war unless Unova provokes it first. Can we do anything else?"

Cynthia grinned wolfishly. "I'll talk some sense into Alder, or else I'll just pound it through that stupid fire bug he has. Don't you have a terrorist organization you need to deal with?"

Diantha sighed as she ended the call. _We have no good options._

"Milady?" Wikstrom's armor creaked as he rose from his seat. "Pardon me for intervening, but war would not be so far fetched. Although my title as Commander in Chief of Kalos' Army has so far only been nominal, that doesn't mean that we are unprepared to defend ourselves by any means. Our dragon brigades and air force are particularly powerful at the moment."

Drasna stood up next to him. "Diantha, hon, you know how much I hate to disagree with you, but Wikstrom is right. Our force of Dragons numbers over 3,000 Goodra and 200 Salamance. Our pride has been hurt by this demand. Your people are angry with the Syndicate and proud that their region was able to stop the attack. We can't let Unova denigrate us like this."

Siebold sighed as he stood up. "Violence is such a messy affair. None of the beautiful art that goes into my cooking. However, may I remind you of our duty to protect, Diantha? Surely, we will perish if we allow Unova to cut off our economy like they have suggested."

Diantha narrowed her eyes at her three elites. "Our people have been at peace for over seventy years. Do you mean to suggest that we should loose that over this dispute? What about the Syndicate? Think about it; if we even consider war, we will be completely ignoring the threat of further terror at home. What if they destroyed Prism Tower? Crippled the Sundial? Took down the Tower of Mastery? We can't let ourselves get distracted like this!"

"And how do you know they are the distraction?"

Diantha glared at Malva as she pushed off of the back wall and walked up to stand with her fellow elites. "What."

The fiery haired woman sneered at the champion. "You've nearly lost to seven challengers in the past three years that you've been champion. You ignored a criminal organization long enough for it to blossom beneath your nose. That same organization killed 55,000 people. You've grown weak and complacent, Diantha. It's a shock that you haven't been replaced before now."

Diantha's eyes widened. "What the hell do you mean, replaced?"

Malva grinned. "It's quite simple, really. Today is Monday. On Friday, we battle. On Saturday, we actually can start fixing some things around this region. I hope you won't struggle too much."

Diantha missed a heartbeat. "I don't understand."

Malva flipped her hair in Diantha's face as she turned around and left the room. "Don't you get it? I'm challenging you to an official battle for the role of Champion of the Kalos region."

 **Ash's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Alright, let'Z go!" Ash exclaimed as he dug his feet into the sand. "Paul, are you ready?"

The mauve haired boy shot Erin a desperate glance, who smiled brilliantly at him and waved. Paul groaned and slouched as he looked at Ash. "Sure, whatever."

Ash grinned. _Alright, Greninja. We start from zero, right now._ "Froakie, I choose you!" The bubble frog Pokemon appeared on the battlefield and nodded at Ash approvingly.

Paul shook his head. "Predictable. Pidgeot, standby."

Ash's eyes widened as the giant bird flashed onto the battlefield as a rush of memories overcame him. _Forget Kingler; how long has it been since the last time I saw Pidgeot?_ Pushing the thought aside, he shouted, "I didn't know you had a Pidgeot! I honestly expected you to send out Electivire."

Paul's face darkened, and Ash frowned as he shot Erin yet another look. Forcefully sticking his hands in his pockets, he half turned away and growled. "You know fucking nothing about me, Ketchum. Don't forget that."

Ash's stomach twisted. Paul had changed, that much was for sure. What had happened to him since the last time they had parted? They had been on good terms, friends almost. Funny how being fourteen seemed so long ago in light of everything that had happened in the last month.

Froakie turned to Ash and clenched a fist, and he nodded. "Whatever. Be like that. I'm still going to beat you all the same!"

Paul sighed. "Pathetic. I suppose you could go first. Not like it matters, considering that you're going to loose."

All of his problems with Paul came flooding back to him. "Hey! Who do you think you're calling pathetic?"

Paul smirked. "Wonderful. So I'll go first. Steel wing."

Ash growled as Pidgeot swooped in with glowing wings. "I'm not a kid anymore, Paul. Substitute, then water pulse."

Paul rolled his eyes as Froaky disappeared. Pidgeot slammed through the substitute doll as Froaky appeared behind him with a charged water pulse. "Take it." The hyper-pressurized water slammed into the birds back to no visible effect.

Ash stepped back as his eyes widened in shock. "But how?"

Paul groaned. "Arceus, Ketchum. Do I have to spell it out for you to understand? I would have thought that after two years you would have improved at least a little bit. Your Froaky is weak and undertrained, yet you keep bringing it out against powerful opponents to no visible effect. Your win against Erin at the Battle Chateau was a fluke from a lucky mid battle new move. He was absolutely destroyed by J's Latios, which my Pidgeot could have taken down at full health. Grant's Tyrunt knocked him out in a single shot at low damage. Evidently, you've done absolutely no dedicated training to help Froaky get better, which is surprising considering how much time you've spent working to help Serena improve. Froaky is significantly slower and less powerful than he should be after a month. He hasn't even learned double team yet, which is one of the single easiest moves for a member of his species to learn. Water pulse is obviously his strongest move, but it doesn't even scratch Pidgeot. Evidently, you don't understand how substitute works either, because Froaky is already exhausted and we've barely lifted a finger. You can't win this battle. You're wasting my time."

Ash stared speechless as Paul turned to walk away. Before he could return Pidgeot, however, Froaky leaped into the air and launched a water pulse after him, which splashed harmlessly against the magnificent bird.

Paul whipped around furiously. "That was foolish. Hurricane." Froaky screamed out as a gust stronger than the force of a charging Bouffalant ripped through his tiny body, launching him backwards past Ash and high into the air over the ocean.

"Froaky!" Ash screamed as his Pokemon hurdled towards the earth. Breaking out into a full sprint, he extended his arms as far out as they could go and pulled in the water type before painfully bellyflopping into the shallow sand. The low tide rushed into his clothing, leaving him sopping wet and sandy. The discomfort was doubled by the dull ache that was starting to permeate his chest.

He rolled onto his back and sat up, grabbing his hat from the surf and pulling it down over his wet sandy hair. Froakie pulled himself free from Ash's grasp and backed away from him slowly. _"_ _Don't touch me."_

Ash was so furious at his Pokemon that he didn't even realize he had heard him speak. "Well, sorry for saving you. I told you months ago not to attack without me saying so."

Froakie growled at his trainer. _"I don't give up. Ever. Evidently, you'll let that piece of work get away with insulting you and me. I made you my trainer, not my caretaker. My strength is on you,_ _and if you're so worthless that you can't figure out how to make that work, I'll just leave you like I left the others._ _"_

Something snapped inside of Ash. All of his frustrations with Froaky, with Paul, with the TE Disaster, with Serena, seemed to come to a boiling point, until he couldn't hold back his frustration and resentment anymore.

"You know what? Maybe Paul is right. Maybe the reason you left all of those trainers was because you were too PATHETIC to fight your own battles!"

The instant Ash said it, he knew that he had gone to far. Every trainer around him had gone deathly silent. Froakie's eyes widened, and the bubble frog Pokemon took off from the beach at a full sprint.

Ash caught a glimpse of just one face that he actually cared about. Serena's face read just two things: shock and horror.

 _I'm no better than Paul is._

Holding back tears, Ash sprinted off after Froakie.

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Come on out!" Erin threw both of her pokeballs into the air.

She grinned as Deerling and Druddigon appeared around her. Kirlia giggled as she teleported onto her shoulder. _"Are we ready to torment Serena?"_ Deerling brushed up against her trainer's leg as Erin stroked Druddigon's head, earning a low grumble.

Serena sweatdropped. "Do I have to fight all three of them?"

Erin smiled and shook her head. "No. I want to see Fennekin vs Deerling." She nodded to the deer, who happily leaped onto the battlefield.

"Fennekin, let's do this!" Serena threw the ball onto the field, and her fire type appeared in front of her. The fox Pokemon dug her heels into the sand and growled as Deerling walked onto the field. "Flamethrower!"

"Dodge it!" Deerling veered to the side as searing hot flames shot past her flank. "Leaf attack!" Razor leaves surrounded her Pokemon as she charged into Fennekin's side, knocking her back with the ineffective attack.

Serena seemed to freeze as she stared at the battle nervously. "What do I do? She dodged it!"

Erin sighed. _This could take a while._ "You can do this, Serena! Use your head."

She frowned. "Fennekin, use scratch."

"Wild charge!" Deerling charged into Fennekin as the fox attempted to scratch her, driving her back to Serena. Erin pursed her lips as she looked at Serena. "Come on. I'm not even using any strategy. All I'm doing is attacking you directly. Remember what you learned with Ash and I!"

Serena seemed to think for a moment before nodding confidently. "Flamethrower!"

"Dodge!"

"Hidden power, now!"

Deerling sidestepped the flamethrower only to have hidden power wash over her. The world turned green, and Erin winced as her palm burned. The mark painted its way across, and she suddenly realized that no matter what, Serena could never see it. Cupping her other hand over it, she hissed to Kirlia, _"Help me to distract Serena."_

 _"No need."_ Kirlia pointed, and Erin looked over to see Ash sprinting away after Froakie as his Pokemon ran off.

"Ash, wait!" Serena returned Fennekin and ran after Ash.

 **Elle's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Elle ignored the commotion across the beach. She was far too invested in the battle in front of her to do anything else.

"Vine whip!" Skitty frantically ran around in circles as Bulbasaur slammed a green vine down over and over again.

Elle clenched her fists. "Skitty, keep calm! Get in close and use double slap!"

Skitty rolled under a vine whip and danced up to Bulbasaur, who seemed unprepared as she whacked her fluffy tail into his face. Shauna smiled. "Poison powder then leech seed!"

A giant root rose up from the ground to envelop Skitty, who cried out in pain. A puff of purple powder powerfully perfumed the Pokemon, presenting a perpetuating problem for presenting powerful plans.

Elle frowned. "Hang in there, Skitty! Use attract and disarming voice!"

Bulbasaur was blown back and the leech seed collapsed as hearts sprung up in his eyes. Elle posed and pretended to blow Shauna a kiss, who smirked. "Skitty's still poisoned, though. This battle is over. Tackle."

Bulbasaur slammed into Skitty and launched her backwards into Elle's arms, knocking her over. Elle returned her Pokemon and got back up to her feet, momentarily forgetting her surroundings. "That was a great battle! Bulbasaur has gotten really strong."

The smile she got from Shauna took all of the warmth out of her. "Yeah, no thanks to you. You don't even stand a chance against us."

"Oh." Elle gripped her pokeball tighter as Shauna walked away.

 _Why are things like this? Why am I even here?_

 **Alain's Perspective - Ninja Village**

Light filled Alain's vision as sensation returned to his body.

He was lying down… somewhere. How did I get here? Trying to think back to the last thing he had been doing before he had blacked out, he came up with a complete blank. Beginning to panic, he dug deeper within himself as he began to realize that he was at a complete loss.

His name was Alain; he knew that much, but that seemed to be meaningless in the moment. Everything about him, his body, his surroundings, seemed completely unfamiliar. He couldn't find a single memory of himself, of who he was, of where he was. His body ached all over, and he felt as if he had been run over by a Rhydon. What had happened to him?

Suddenly, the slightest glimmer of recognition seemed to cross his conscience. Latching on to it, memories overcame him for the first time since he had woken up.

A young girl, ten years old, falling over her own feet. The world around her seemed to gray out as she stood out as a lone pastel in a sea of white. Bright red hair contrasted with green clothes as she smiled at him. He remembered her when she was happy, when she was sad, and when he had made her angry, devastated with loss.

Her name was Mairin.

Mairin. As Alain's vision cleared, he realized that he was on his back looking at the sky. Using his sole thought as motivation, he pushed through his weakness and pulled himself into an upright position. The world spun around him, and he slumped forwards, ramming his hands into the ground to anchor himself to the ever tilting world.

Now that he was looking down, he took the opportunity to reacquaint himself with his persona. He was wearing plain black clothing, which seemed to be ripped and torn all over. A single black glove covered one of his hands, and the other looked as if it had been ripped off, as a single circle on its back was the dark red of a sunburn. Strangest of all was a bizarre bracelet on his gloved arm. It was a black band with strange markings running down its length. In the center, a single rainbow colored stone sat, with a double helix symbol seemingly floating in the crystalline amber. At his waist, an ancient leather belt was strapped to the base of his pants. Connected to it was a single red and white sphere with a button in the center.

Reaching out, Alain brushed his fingers against the stone, and shuddered as they tingled with the residue of some ancient power incomprehensible to him as it was now. Jerking his hand away, he instead grabbed the strange sphere, deciding not to touch the button in the center. "What happened to me?" he rasped, and immediately wished he hadn't.

His voice, rusty from obvious disuse, felt so alien as it rang through the open air. It was too deep or too high pitched, all at the same time. That feeling of displacement seemed to fill him as he raised his head again to take a look around him.

Something is horribly wrong here.

Finally he was able to register his surroundings. He was lying in the middle of a massive field, which seemed to stretch on in all directions without end. The ground around him was scorched to ash in a perfect circle around him, as if he had been a meteor that had fallen to Earth. Flowers surrounded him, filling in the world with a vibrant beauty unlike anything he could have conjured out of the void of his lost memories. The world was breathtaking, so much so that Alain couldn't find it in himself to get up from his desolate crater.

"Hidden power!" a feminine voice yelled. Alain cried out and shielded his eyes as the world erupted into a sea of green, blinding him and overwhelming him. Blinking furiously, he was able to regain his vision as a searing pain ripped across his ungloved hand. He screamed as his back arched back, and his eyes were wide as an inky black mark painted itself across his hand. Three lines, the middle one longer, of pure blankness struck through by a single line that cut through all three.

"Don't move, or I'll kill you. Do you understand?" Alain's eyes widened as he felt the cool touch of steel against his throat, and a giant green Pokemon instantly appeared in front of him. Its wing was curved into the shape of a bow, and it had a leaflike arrow pointed straight at his forehead.

"Wha-" Alain's sentence was abruptly cut off as the Pokemon hissed and a warm trickle of blood dripped down his neck as the blade kissed soft skin.

"I never said that you could talk, now did I?" The blade snaked away from his throat as a hard boot kicked him. "Stand up. One wrong move, and my Decidueye will kill you."

Alain staggered to unsteady feet as ash drifted down of his weary back. He was already mentally and physically exhausted, had no memories, and wasn't entirely sure why he was alive. The butt of a sword slammed into his back, and he fell to his knees, unsure of his will to walk on.

Mairin.

He wasn't sure who she was or just quite why he cared about her, but that was enough to get him up and moving. With a shaky resolve, he stumbled through the endless field, his tormentor behind him. Twice he stumbled and fell, but the girl behind him dragged him up again by the collar and pushed him onwards.

Finally, they came to what seemed to be a massive rocky outcropping outstanding in the middle of the plains. Deep crags shrouded in shadow permeated windswept granite ledges, as if some gargantuan Pokemon had used stone edge on the open earth. Alain looked around at his surroundings in awe as Decidueye kept an arrow angled directly at his brow. "What is this place?"

His vision went black as the butt of the girl's sword collided with the base of his skull. "I thought I told you to shut the fuck up. Monsters like you don't deserve the trial you're going to get."

Alain grown in pain as he was forced to his feet again. What the hell did I do to these people to make them hate me? I don't remember a single thing about it.

He was led to a great wooden door, set deep into the shaded recesses of the crags. A sharp wing kissed his neck as his captor walked up to the door, and he got his first good look at her.

Instantly, he looked to her hair. It was dyed a brilliant purple with red highlights, drawn back into a barely contained ponytail. A black headband covered her brow. A massive long sword was strapped to her waist, and the pommel was inlaid with an array of semi-precious gemstones. She wore a mottled green cape that clung to skinny arms, and she had a black bodysuit on underneath.

She turned around and sneered at Alain. "Leer all you want, pervert. You won't be around to do it for very long." Turning back to the door, she gave the hardened wood three sharp raps and yelled, "Hey, Gin! Open up, it's Yuki. I found one of them!"

A slot above the door slid open, and a young boy stuck his head out. "Got it, Miss Yuki!"

Yuki clenched her fists as the door creaked open. "I said not to call me that, you little brat!" she yelled. "I'm 18, not 32!"

"Sorry, Miss Yuki!"

Somehow, Alain still found it in himself to smile. The door swung open, and Alain stumbled through the gates into a village. He didn't get a good look at it, though, as he was immediately dragged down as side corridor and thrown into a small room.

Yuki stared down at him disdainfully. "You should feel lucky to be alive right now. Not that it matters, considering that you'll probably die tomorrow anyways."

The door slammed shut behind her, leaving him alone in darkness.

 **Mairin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Mairin tripped in the center of the clearing.

Maybe it was a root that had tripped her; she really couldn't say for sure. All she knew was that Alain was gone, and now all that she could do was hope he was alive.

Pulling her head up from the mossy ground, she stared at the black glove on her hand. _Alain, please be safe. I need you to be safe._

Chespie and Bebe came up behind her as she took the simple pokeball off of her belt and softly pressed the button. Charizard appeared in front of her with a flash. The flame Pokemon appeared in front of her without fanfare. His eyes held nothing. No rage, no anger, just loss.

Starting to cry, Mairin embraced Alain's Pokemon. "I'm so sorry!" she sobbed into his warm flank. "He's gone, and I can't bring him back!"

Chespie ran up to her leg and wrapped his vine whips around her as she cried. Bebe nestled onto her hat, and the leathery wings of the mourning fire type surrounded her, shielding her from the would around them.

Mairin looked up at Charizard with glistening eyes. "We're going to find him together, right?"

A small puff of flame shot from his nose as he silently nodded, and Mairin buried her face into the warm stomach of the companion to her best friend she had lost.

 **Froakie's Perspective – Summer Camp**

 _"Xerneas."_

 _"You are a fool, Froakie. We commanded you to fulfill your mission, not to tear your trainer apart in the process."_

 _"But-"_

 _"No. Zygarde gave you orders. You follow those orders. The sabotage has gone deeper than we expected."_

 _"There's always another trainer."_

 _"It is too late for that. The bond has been formed. You no longer have the luxury of choice. You and Ketchum are intrinsically connected now, whether you like it or not."_

 _"What must I do?"_

 _"Find Ketchum. Fulfill your mission. Zygarde will be with you sooner than you may expect."_

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

When she caught up to Ash, he was sitting alone under a tree. When he looked up at her, his eyes were dead. "Froaky is gone."

Serena stared at Ash. Her arm hurt from the running, but she pushed that down alongside the mess of emotions inside of her. "Ash, what happened?"

Ash turned his head away. "He said he would leave. I called him pathetic."

Somewhere inside of Serena, something twisted. "Ash..." She reached out to him, trying to comfort him, but he slapped her hand away.

When he looked up, his eyes were watering. "Don't touch me! I don't even deserve to care about you so much."

Serena watched in horror as Ash, her crush, her hero, her role model, began to cry. "Oh Arceus, Ash," she whispered and sat down next to him. She embraced him, and this time he didn't fight back.

The raven haired boy choked back a sob, and smiled weakly at Serena. "This is wrong. You lost a hand and fought J, and I'm the one who's crying."

Serena tried to smile at him and failed. "What happened?"

"Paul was right. Froaky isn't the pathetic one. The pathetic one is me. I can't do anything right anymore, Serena."

Her resolve steeled. "That's a lie, and we both know it."

Ash glared at her. "No! I've been a complete failure every since I left Sinnoh. I can't train Pokemon right anymore, I keep loosing and failing, and now I hurt my Pokemon so badly, that I-I-"

"Shut up!" Ash stared at her in shock as she pulled away from him. "You're not really Ash!"

Ash's eyes widened. "What?"

Serena glared at him. "The Ash I know would never yell at his Pokemon! The Ash I know is strong, and keeps going after he looses. The Ash I know never gives up! You're not the Ash I care about!"

Ash stood up, tears falling away from his eyes. "We can't get there. We're missing something, something that just isn't there. I can feel him, Serena. I can hear his thoughts, feel his emotions. I saw what we can become, but it can't happen now. You're stronger that me. You always have been."

She stepped towards him. "If you haven't gotten there, it's because you haven't tried yet."

His eyes seemed to spark with hope for the first time since she had found him. "I'm scared, Serena. I don't know if I can do this alone. Can you help me?"

Serena stared at him fiercely. "Of course I will. I could never give up on you, Ash."

He smiled faintly. "Neither could I."

She leaned in, and brought their lips together in a brief but explosive kiss. It was everything she had ever hoped for, yet nothing like she had ever expected. She drew back to see Ash staring at her in complete awe. He looked like he was about to say something, but she shook her head. "Find Froaky, Ash. We can talk about it later. Make things right again, for all of us."

Ash nodded. "I won't give up, Serena. I promise you that I will never give up on us again."

She smiled faintly as she watched him go. The moment had come and gone, and she was still standing on the other side.

 _I believe in you, Ash Ketchum. I believe that we can make things right_ _with the world once again_ _._

 **[A/N] Amourshipping is now cannon, not only in this story but in the anime. The last episode was really a beautiful way to end off the series. Thank you, writers, for letting me share the amazing journey that you brought us along for. As we transition into Gen 7 (fourteen days!) it is probably safe to expect a lot more Alolan stuff to start popping up here and there.**

 **Also, new OC for the first time since chapter ten! Alain's going to have his work cut out for himself.**

 **Finally, who remembers what happened to Sanpei way back in chapter twelve? He's about to become very, very relevant again. Now, reviews:**

 _ **Guest98101 – Thanks! I have an arc planned for developing them as sisters, but it will take a while to develop and progress. I'm glad you're enjoying everything else, though.**_

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – It happened! It all happened! When she comes back, everything will be different.**_

 _ **Bluejack – In a world of giant earth destroying beasts and legalized battles between animals, not everything is going to be rainbows and sunshine, I'm afraid. Plus, romance has always been the secondary genre in this fic.**_

 _ **Guilmon23 – I have my reasons, which are numerous and a mix of plot and character development.**_

 _ **TheNightstriker - :) This made me laugh. Honestly, this has always been dark; it's just my writing that's improving. No need to worry about either of your concerns. All in due time.**_

 **Thanks for reading and leave a review! Pokefan87, signing out.**


	34. The Seas of Ash

Chapter 34 – The Seas of Ash

 **[A/N] So I'm back, I guess.**

 **November was legitimately one of the worst months of my life. The US election screwed me over, school got incredibly complicated, and the Sun and Moon came out and all of my spare time went to my Pyukkumuku. I apologize for my radio silence, but there was nothing to be done about it. So, this chapter was supposed to be twice as long, but I needed to get myself back up and on my feet again as far as this story goes. I'm going to find my motivation and time to keep going, and I won't give up here. Thank you for the support since the last chapter went up.**

 **It doesn't help that this chapter was hard to write. I don't know how many of you have realized it yet, but the camp arc is a pretty major turning point as far as characters go. The Serena scene was probably the hardest thing that I've ever had to write in my life, period.**

 **I've changed the story summary too, if anyone cares. Tell me what you think.**

 **I don't say it enough up top, so thank you all for your incredible support. You're the reason this chapter is going up at all, and that means a lot to me. Since it's been a while, here's a quick summary of the camp arc so far.**

 ** _The Main Gang:_** _The gang arrived at camp and met up with Professor Sycamore. Erin and Paul still shaken from Cerys' involvement with the TE disaster, and have rejoined the group after leaving Korrina with Riley. The two are also working through the beginnings of a still secret relationship from the rest of the group. Serena has been a wreck ever since she lost her hand. Ash's confidence has been shaken over his bond with Froaky and his battling abilities. Clemont is terrified at Bonnie's seeming detatchment from reality, and decided that the two would stop their journey after camp concludes. Bonnie_ _is waiting for a presence to save her from the bond that is ripping her mind apart._

 ** _The Plot:_** _Camp opens with_ _the gang meeting back up with Sycamore. Rocket is back up to their old tricks in the shadows, and the gang is split up into four teams. Elle meets Mairin, who is still reeling from Alain's disappearance. The group encounters a trio of trainers that are familiar to both Erin and to Elle, who has a deeper connection to them than they know yet. After a series of battles, Ash and Froaky get into an argument, and Froaky takes off. Serena chases after him, and the two (finally) kiss before Ash keeps his pursuit up after his Kalos starter. Froaky encounters a certain legendary as he flees the camp…_

 ** _E_ _verybody Else:_** _Diantha is facing a pending championship bid from Malva, backed by the rest of the elites. She and Cynthia are dealing with fallout from Unova over the TE disaster as well. Mairin decided that she is going to find Alain, who has awakened without memories into the waiting arms of a mysterious girl with unknown motives. Korrina has started to unlock the potential of aura between herself and Lucario, and Riley has declared her ready to attempt the mega evolution transformation._

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

The moon rose high over the darkened beach. The high tide crashed against the windswept surf, giving the area a soothing rhythm of ebb and flow. Erin sat on the porch of the cabin, staring out to sea. A lone Drifblim floated along in the wind, on an endless venture to nowhere.

The door creaked open and Paul stepped outside. "Hey, what's wrong? I heard you get up and come out."

Erin shrugged. "Just thinking, I guess." It felt like she was half asleep, probably because Kirlia was peacefully slumbering at the foot of her bed.

"I'll join you, then." Paul settled down next to her as she vacantly stared off into the distance. After a long silence, she looked over at him with a sigh.

"I just can't help but to wonder… Did I do something wrong?"

Paul frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Clearly, I've screwed everything up. I've been wondering when it started."

"I don't understand what you mean."

She sighed and rested her hands behind her head. "I think it was that third day. I went into the woods to hatch Druddigon, and Serena went to go find Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. Should I have just disappeared and let events happen normally? Or would I have made things worse if I left them alone?"

Paul shrugged. "I guess it doesn't really matter. This is the world we're living in, and it's not like we can go back and change events that already happened. All we can do is live with it."

Erin smiled at his wisdom. "I guess that makes sense. I still can't sleep, though. Can we take a walk?"

Paul nodded, and the two of them rose from the bench. Erin felt completely at ease as her bare feet pressed down into the soft earth. Her hand connected with Paul's, and they walked past cabins onto the wooded trail that ran along the cliff overlooking the ocean. She stopped at a large flat rock that overhung the beach and settled down on top of it. Paul settled down beside her. "It's beautiful here," he murmured.

Erin laughed, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, it's nothing. I just didn't expect a guy like you to be so appreciative of that sort of thing."

"What would make you think that?" Paul scowled back at her.

She laughed again, then dangled her feet over the ledge as she leaned back on her hands. "You know, this reminds me of that first time I went and found you in the woods."

"That's not an answer!" She grinned at him, so he looked down at her luxury ball. "Yeah, it really does. Didn't Clauncher launch a hydro pump at you?"

"I had forgotten about that."

Paul shrugged. "Well, I was trying to hit you, not Deerling."

Erin punched him jokingly. "Shut up."

They lapsed into silence, and the moon rose high above them into the night sky. Unable to take her mind off of that night, Erin began to slowly formulate an idea for the competition the next day.

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

The bunk bed was far too rigid, really. The hard oak planks that held up the flimsy mattress seemed to be a row of metal bars, holding her side captive deep into the night.

Not that Serena was able to sleep, anyways. Her lips were still tingling from earlier, but she desperately wanted them to stop. Her bad arm was lodged under her, and a twinge seemed to run up its length. With a sigh, she massaged it, running her fingers back and forth over the scars that had been left there. Once, she would have considered herself pretty, as far as thing go. Now, people would look away them moment they noticed it.

She would have screamed out in frustration had it not been for Clemont peacefully sleeping on the top bunk across from her.

It had never really gone away. She wasn't really here.

The ash of the dead was still falling from the sky. Her lungs caught as she stumbled through the burning woods, choking on the ghostly residue. Zorua was just beyond her reach; the first Pokemon she had caught was a hoax, an illusion. She wasn't a trainer, just a lost soul drifting amid the devastation. The dark silhouette of J's form filtered through the ashen cloud, casting a binding shadow that enveloped her and tore her apart. The pain from her arm was overwhelming, consuming, burning her up into the ash around her as the dusk breeze swept her into oblivion.

Serena squeezed her eyes shut tighter. She wanted to fall asleep, to forget TE, to forget what had just happened between her and Ash. She wanted all of her pain to end forever.

The thought nearly shocked her out of her depression. Never, not once, had she ever so much as entertained the thought of suicide. Quickly, she tried to dismiss it, but it rose back up inside her like a bubble beam. It would be so easy. She could never deal with another Shauna again in her life. It would wipe all of the shit that Erin had caused clean. It would wipe everything clean, really.

Funny how the harder she tried to go to sleep, the more awake she was.

Pushing the soft fabric of the blanket covering her off, Serena stumbled to her feet. Her long hair hung around her in disarray. It weighed her head down, another burden added on to the bench press. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she wandered into the bathroom, catching the support of the door frame to hold herself up.

One long look in the mirror made her feel worse. Her hair was tangled, and her hair was never tangled. Her face seemed gaunt, almost. She hadn't been eating properly, and she knew it. What was even the point, anymore? Her arm was everything, and it was incomplete. It felt like she was endlessly caught in a bad dream, except there was no way to wake up from this one.

Her eyes were drawn to her makeup kit. How naive, to have thought she ever had a chance to stop J, useless as she was. How vain, that she cared so much about her appearance. How selfish, to take herself away from the ones who cared about her. And yet…

Her hands shook as she undid the zipper, and drew back the lid. Everything was there, just like it should be. All of the makeup and eyeliner, the fabrics and thread, and the gleaming pair of scissors strapped to the top of the lid.

 _Ash._

Ash that fell from the sky, and Hunter J, laughing as it smothered her.

He had been keeping her going this whole time. He had always been there. He was the reason that Zekrom hadn't killed her. He was the reason she had never given up. But now…

Ash had given up on Froakie. She had kissed him. She couldn't give up on him.

 _"_ _You were too PATHETIC to fight your own battles!"_

She was done letting him fight this one for her.

His voice echoed through her head, and the scissors were in her hand before she knew what she was doing. There was a power in holding them, a control that had gone out the window after seeing so many die. Slowly, she marveled at the blade, slowly opening the blades before snapping them back together.

 _I'm sorry, Ash._

The cool blade hovered over her bad arm as the voice rang out. _"Now surely you don't really intend to do that, do you?"_

She spun around to see Rotom and Fennekin standing in the doorway. Fennekin looked absolutely terrified, while Rotom held something more akin to pity in its gaze. Her hand stayed above her wrist, but she could feel her heart break a little. "Why?"

Fennekin tried to take a step towards her, but she wildly swung the scissors in front of her. Fennekin recoiled in terror, both for herself and for her trainer. Rotom hummed softly. _"Serena."_

"Go away."

Rotom shook its frame. _"Drop the scissors, Princess."_

At this point, she was freely crying. "Why do you hate me? Why did you let me fail?" She could barely hold the scissors up anymore. Her brief sense of power had turned to hopelessness and despair, and the cool metal slid through her fingertips at an alarming rate.

The ends of her long hair fell to the floor as her lifeline clattered away. Rotombowed its frame as it stared at its trainer. _"I don't hate you, and neither does Ash or anyone else._ _We haven't failed yet._ _"_

"SHUT UP!" Serena screamed, drawing back from her Pokemon. "Don't you get it? It's over. The entire tournament was destroyed because of me! Ash gave up on Froakie. He said he would never give up until the end. Why hasn't he given up on me? Let me go!" The silence hung heavy in the air, and she slumped even further down. "Why didn't he give up on me?"

Rotom let loose a soft burst of electricity in anger as he shot back at her. _"The only one who's given up is you! I chose you for a purpose. Getting captured, J, the TE Disaster; none of this was a mistake. Don't you care? Or are you too much of a coward to keep on?"_

Serena was openly sobbing now, and Fennekin ran forwards and leaped into her arms. "He kissed me, Rotom. I'm been dreaming of this for fucking years, and the moment is so shitty that I can't go on."

 _"He drives you."_

Serena shook her head. "Not now. Not anymore. It's too much, Rotom. I have no choice. I have to go. I still breath in the ashes of the dead, every day." Fennekin cried out and licked her cheek, but she jerked her head away from the Pokemon. "I have to go," she repeated numbly.

 _"_ _No."_

The numbness spread through her body, and all she wanted to do was to end it. "Let me go."

Rotom's gaze was fierce. _"You're worth more than this, Serena. I can't let you."_

Serena wanted so desperately to loathe Rotom. She wanted to loathe its misogyny, its perversion, and its attitude. She hated it, how it drew out the worst in her. She couldn't believe it. "Why?"

 _"_ _You can't back down. You can't give up. And I won't let you go away."_

Serena was defeated. She had never, not once, felt so broken and hopeless and alone, cast adrift in the seas of ash. It took all of the effort in her body to lift her head up to Rotom. "But what can I do?"

 _"Fight back."_

The tiniest hope seemed to find its way into the depths of her conscience, try as she might to fight it back down.

Rotom floated towards her and pointed at her arm. _"_ _Show them that your arm is a sign of strength, not weakness. Show Ash that you will never give up on him, no matter what. Show J that she will never get away with what she has done to you and Kalos. Take those scissors and make the choice that nobody else can make for you. Free yourself and fight_ _for Kalos_ _, Serena Yvonne. You have my faith that you will make the right choice."_

Fennekin pressed down on her hand with her paws in encouragement before lifting them as Serena grasped the scissors.

 _Rotom is right. My fight is not for Ash anymore. When I set out, I never expected this, but that's not going to change anything. My fight is for Kalos, for the ones who survived. The ones who I failed._

She was surrounded by her friends and Pokemon, and she wanted to leave them behind. She would not let herself drag them down any longer.

 _Waking up in her room, only to find a strange girl sleeping next to her._

 _Serena and Erin, fleeing from the burning wreckage of a public bus._

 _Fennekin, sitting on the floor of Professor Sycamore's Lab as she knelt down besides her._

 _Fletchling, evolving into Fletchinder at the Santalune Gym_ _as she and Erin cheered Ash on_ _._

 _Serena, Erin, Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont sitting in a cloud of black smoke after his Sandwich Slicer Dicer Stacker Mark Two exploded on Route 5._

 _Erin, lying in a hospital bed with a concussion._

 _Ash, narrowly taking down Erin at the Battle Chateau._

 _The five of them, getting kicked out of a Pokemon Center after nearly destroying the lobby in an argument._

 _Elle, comforting her as she cried alone in the woods._

 _Erin on a Pidgeot's back, bringing them to Ambrette Town_

 _Hunter J, sneering as she left with Sanpei's broken form._

 _The towering heights of the Cyllage City Gym._

 _Erin, parting ways as she left with Korrina and her Ralts._

 _A tiny Pachirisu, huddled in a hollow log, lost and alone._

 _The massive stadium of the Tournament Extraordinaire._

 _Pachirisu, chasing Rotom into darkness as Serena sprinted after them._

 _J, throwing her into a tiny jail cell._

 _Rotom breaking her free, and_ _then her slamming said Pokemon into a wall as hard as she could._

 _Looker, then J, then Zorua, then freedom, and it was all too much, happening to fast. They stormed the compound, took down Salamance, but couldn't stop the blast. Wandering through the wreckage, desperately trying to help people. J was there, and she was captured, and all she knew was pain, excruciating pain, overwhelming her._

 _Three long black lines, the middle longer, with a short line cutting through all three. The symbol of everything bad that had happened, to her, to her friends, to her life._

 _Erin, dressed in all white, with a Kirlia, staving off the darkness._

 _Her hand was gone._

 _She would put the past behind her, she would move forwards, she had to, to be stronger, for herself, for the world, for everyone who she wanted to survive, so that she could protect Ash for once, and not the other way round._

The golden locks of hair drifted down to the cold floor of the bathroom, but there was no sun to reflect its gaze upon them. They were their own light, freeing and binding all at the same time. Serena worked the scissors methodically until the molten gold pooled around her. The cool steel clattered to the floor as she rose to examine herself in the mirror.

Fennekin jumped onto the sink next to her and Rotom floated up behind her as Serena pulled her locket from underneath her shirt. The golden heart was tarnished, with the slightest indent in the top corner. Serena worked the locket open, and the photo of Erin stared up at her. Her new, shorter hair hung around her head raggedly as her reflection warped in the picture-less side.

"I'm not the same person that I was when I set out on this journey, am I?"

Fennekin yipped and licked her hand, and Serena smiled down at her Pokemon. Rotom sighed. _"_ _Thank Arceus for that."_

Serena sighed, clenching her fist and running her bad arm through her new hair. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, Fennekin. Do you still want to get stronger with me, even through everything that has happened?"

Fennekin cried out and leaped at Serena, who caught her and giggled despite herself. Rotom smiled, then yelled, _"Hey, what about me?"_

Serena rolled her eyes. "Of course you're included in that, you stupid tin can." Rotom cracked a grin, and she sighed one last time as calm washed over her. "After all, I can't die until I figure out how to decommission you." She awkwardly wrapped her good arm around the metal frame.

 _"Alright, this is the kind of action I'm talking about!"_

Campers for years to come would later wonder about the strange Pokedex shaped indent on the wall of Team Froaky's cabin.

"Serena?"

She turned away from the mirror to see Clemont standing in the doorway. His hair was a disheveled mess, and he looked like he was still half asleep. "Hi Clemont," she murmured softly, hoping that he hadn't seen what had happened.

The young inventor seemed concerned. "Are you okay? What happened to your hair? Where did you get that locket from?"

Serena sighed. "Yeah, there's no need to worry. I'm fine now."

Clemont narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't believe you. I heard you screaming and crying."

She wanted to break down and cry again, but she was done acting like that. "Clemont, can I ask you something?"

He seemed taken aback by the fire she could feel rising up within herself. "Sure, what is it?"

"Do you believe that I can be strong?"

Clemont frowned and he took a step back. "Of course I do. You're stronger than I'll ever be."

Serena frowned. "Why?"

Clemont walked back into the middle of the cabin and up to his bunk bed. He knelt down at its side and brushed the straw hair away from Bonnie's face. Dedenne sleepily yawned and rolled over on the young girl's belly as her older brother gently drew back one of her eyelids. Serena gasped as she saw the green film that seemed to covered her eyes.

The young inventor looked up at Serena with a pained expression. "I can't help but to look up to you, Serena. At the beginning of our journey, I thought it was Ash, but really you're the one I admire. You've been through the most horrible things out of the five of us, and you're the one who keeps on fighting. You fight for me and Bonnie, Serena, even if you don't realize it." He buried his face in the side of the mattress. "You're defending my little sister, and all I can think to do is to try and hide her away."

Serena sighed and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You don't have to go back to Lumiose City, if you don't want too."

"No." Clemont stood and turned to look out the window. "Meyer is terrified about us right now. He never really got over the death of our mom; it's part of why he's always so emotional. I worry about him just as much as Bonnie. Plus, she's only seven right now. She's already made it through two incredibly traumatic events, and look at what they did to her. I have no choice."

 _"_ _May I make a suggestion?"_

"Sure."

Rotom showed a picture of prism tower on its monitor. _"_ _If J and the Syndicate is serious about their goals to take over and destroy Kalos, Lumiose City is an obvious target. The Kalos league is scheduled to be held there in about seven months, correct?"_

Clemont nodded. "Yeah, I spent about two months before I met Ash and was kicked out of Prism Tower planning and designing the stadium."

Rotom nodded. _"_ _7_ _.3 million people live in Lumiose City. Kalos has no standing military, its gym leader is on a leave of absence at the moment, and the most powerful trainer in the city is Blaziken Mask. Can you confidently say that your people are safe?"_

Guilt was written all over Clemont's face, so Serena butted in. "I think I see what Rotom is getting at. I know that you're the fifth gym leader on the circuit, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get stronger. Your inventions are also crazy good. Maybe you could try to train people and the city how to defend themselves! That way, you can make sure we don't have another worse TE."

"That's a fantastic idea!" Clemont exclaimed, then his face seemed to scrunch up a bit. "Well, Serena, I-"

"What?"

Clemont clenched his fist. "When you, Ash, and Erin make it to Lumiose City, I'd like to battle all three of you!"

She was taken aback. "Wait… You want to battle… me?"

Clemont nodded. "Of course I do! I know that you'll totally get a lot stronger by then, so I'm sure that it'll be worth it."

"Oh… OK..." she blushed, retreating back to her bed and lying back down. Fennekin stretched down next to her and she petted her Pokemon's soft fur.

Clemont's gaze was critical. "Serena, are you sure you're going to be okay?" His bed creaked under him as he clambered awkwardly up to his top bunk, collapsing onto the flimsy mattress.

She stared up vacantly at the bed above her, wishing Ash had been there to comfort her. "Yeah, Clemont. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

"That's a relief."

A single Kricketot chirped a mournful tune outside.

"Oh, and Serena?"

"Yeah?"

"That new haircut suits you."

"Goodnight Clemont."

"Goodnight."

 **Bonnie's Perspective – Summer Camp**

She dreamed in green.

The bond had grown, overwhelming in its immense power. There was too much disorder in the world, overwhelming chaos, and she drowned in its calamity.

A single message played through her head, over and over.

 _"_ _Do not worry. Your help is almost_ _t_ _here."_

 **Ash's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Ash was hopelessly lost and confused.

The dense forest seemed to be an endless realm of nooks and crannies, and there he was stumbling around in circles searching for a tiny blue Pokemon. Pokemon scattered as he forced his tired legs to go just a bit further. Every time he felt the need to stop, he pushed himself further. Punishment, he thought, for the horrible things he had just said. He needed to get as far away from Serena as he could.

 _I'm not really Ash._

He would have never so much as formulated a crush on Serena, let alone kissed her, a year ago. He would have never been so horrible to his Pokemon a year ago. Everything had changed since he had met Serena. How had he been so oblivious to the world before?

He had to find Froaky.

"Pikapi!"

Ash shut his eyes as he barged forwards, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Pikachu! I have to find Froaky."

"Pika!"

Ash collapsed to the forest floor as electricity coursed down the length of his body. He cried out in pain as he shook around until the shock ended, then flipped himself back up into sitting position. "Hey! What the hell was that for?"

Pikachu's face seemed to have a combination of desperation and fury on it. "Pi pika chu pi kachukapi pi pika!"

"What do you mean, Serena is right?" Ash screamed furiously. "Of course she's right! I can't give up on Froaky! That's why I'm going after him."

Pikachu's eyes widened in exasperation. "Kachu pi pi Pikapi."

"Well then, what do you mean?"

Pikachu growled, a song that Ash almost never heard him make. "Pipi pikap kapichukapi." He then slapped Ash in the face with his tail.

Ash's hand went to his face, where a red mark had nearly instantly appeared. _I haven't been getting stronger… for my Pokemon?_ "But I-"

Pikachu shook his head, silencing him.

Ash sat there for a moment as it truly hit him. With every passing second, his resolve seemed to drop off more and more, and he stared at Pikachu in absolute despair. "You mean… The reason I haven't succeeded with training… The reason I failed in Unova and failed here… Is because I haven't been working with my Pokemon to get stronger."

A nod from his oldest companion was all it took to show that he was.

Ash closed his eyes and hung his head, defeated. Pikachu didn't protest as he scooped him up and drew him into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry..." he whispered into the mouse Pokemon's ear, a tear rolling down his cheek and falling onto his flank.

Pikachu broke away from him and stared him right in the eyes. Ash smiled, because after six years, he could see that Pikachu had already forgiven him, and had just been waiting for him to realize it for himself.

Reaching down to his belt, Ash pulled off his two pokeballs and opened them to reveal Fletchinder and Hawlucha. He had sent Kingler back to Oak after lunch, having had his moment with his Pokemon. The two flying types seemed confused for a moment until Pikachu pointed at Ash and motioned for them to listen.

He took a shuddering breath as he looked at his Pokemon. "I'm sorry." A long silence stretched out before he was able to bring himself to speak again. "Fletchinder, Hawlucha, I know that I haven't been giving you guys the treatment you deserve. I..." He took a long shuddering sigh before continuing. "I haven't done what my job is as a Pokemon trainer. I've been ignoring you and not giving full consideration for your needs. I guess that I lost sight in my Pokemon because I was so focused on my goals to be a Pokemon champion, and I'm sorry for that."

Hawlucha bowed his head and Fletchinder shifted feet as Ash continued. "I said some horrible things to Froaky. There's nothing I can say differently about it. I'm not ready to give up on him yet, though. Will you help me to search for and find hem? I understand if you hate me and don't want me to be your trainer anymore, and there's nothing I do about that except apologize."

Fletchinder cawed and jumped at Ash, wrapping his wings around his body. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's head and knocked him over. Hawlucha's eyes softened slightly, and he let his pose grow less formal, which was as good as a hug from him.

Ash's eyes watered. "You guys..." The moment lasted for a second more, then Ash determinedly sat up. "We're going to find Froaky. I won't stop looking until I do. We're going to do it together!"

"Pika!"

"Fletch!"

"Lucha!"

 **[A/N] Before you tell me that moments felt exactly like the anime, which was a comment I got about the kiss scene last time, here is my response. The anime did a damn good job of developing its characters, and I'm going to preserve those moments. They may seem out of context, but only in terms of canon. We left canon around here in chapter one.**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **TheNightstriker – I will gladly accept your potato**_

 _ **Guest98101 – Elle's tongue twister was my first and last abuse of alliteration in this story. As for the historical context, I have theories…**_

 _ **PikaMew1288 – Erin doesn't trust Diantha, remember?**_

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – Thank you so much for your continued supported**_

 _ **Johnny Spectre – Glad that you're interested. We'll have to see, won't we.**_

 _ **Sup13 – The cringe factor is always real when characters are spending time singing theme songs before they get any actual development :)**_

 _ **MiraculousInfinityZie – Now that I've actually played Sun and Moon, I can guarantee you that Alola stuff will be on the way as soon as I can incorporate it into the storyline properly.**_

 **Again, thank you all so much for the love. My hope is to get chapter 35 out before 2017 rolls around, so count on it sometime soon! Follow, favorite, review, and Pokefan87, signing out.**


	35. Aura Break

Chapter 35 – Aura Break

 **[A/N] Sporadic updates are sporadic. Have a Pyukumuku!**

 **Korrina's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Lucario!"

Korrina grinned as Lucario did a back flip in midair before landing on the battlefield, a ripple of aura shooting out from under his paws. "We're ready for you, Riley! Let's do this!" Her mentor had presented her with a set of robes fit for a novice aura guardian, but she had decided to don her skating gear instead. She would show him that she was capable of mega evolution.

She had to.

"Korrina, listen to me!"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at Riley. "Huh?"

"Do you want to do this? Pay attention, please." The older man's eyes flashed stormy gray, lips pursed tight with years of honed discipline. "You will attempt the Mega Evolution transformation exactly once. If at any point you loose control of Lucario, I will immediately end the battle and take the mega stone back. If you are able to defeat two of my Pokemon while retaining control of Lucario, I will allow the two of you to keep the mega stone as we continue our training."

Korrina's eyes widened. _I have to defeat two of his Pokemon? I know one is Lucario, but w_ _hat other Pokemon use aura?_

 _Two versus one. Erin Yvonne, cradling a tiny Ralts in her arms, flanked by a Purugly and a Tyrannitar. She skated over the bluff and saved her from being captured by the Syndicate, or worse._

No. She had accepted Grandpa's death. She would not let it drag her down as she fulfilled her role of Successor. "Understood.

Riley swept his jacket across his body and tugged the brim of his hat down to shade his eyes. "Very well. Togekiss, present yourself."

Korrina wilted as the fairy-flying type appeared over the battlefield. Sure, she had a type advantage, but Lucario had never learned a steel type move. Bone club would do nothing, and neither would power-up punch or aura sphere. Even worse, Togekiss could easily defeat her with a single aura sphere, and that would be that.

Riley held up the mega stone and gave it to Togekiss, who lightly deposited it into her hands. The rough gemstone had been carved down to a beautiful sphere which reflected the soft moonlight across the clearing. Staring down at the gem, Korrina twisted her hand as her reflection warped across the reflective surface.

"Car." She looked up to see her Pokemon standing in front of her, staring intently at the mega stone. He held out his front paw to show the mega stone holder, complete except for the sparkling stone she held in her hand. She held out the stone, reaching to put it in Lucario's holder, but stopped short. Her fingers whitened as she clenched the stone.

 _"It's pathetic, that's what it is. You're a full blown Lucario trainer, as well as your grandfather, and you don't even know how it handles its own aura!"_

She tore her thoughts away from her memories; Paul hadn't been right about anything. If he had been, then why had Gurkinn died.

The fledgling twinge of the bond she felt with Lucario flared up in her head, and she reflexively dropped the stone into her partner's hand. Shaking herself out, she felt her determination return as Lucario expertly inserted the stone into its perfectly molded holder. She was going to do this.

"Now, do you know how to activate the Mega Evolution process?" Riley called.

Korrina nodded. "Of course I do!"

"Then, let's begin."

She took a deep breath, then touched her keystone. "Alright, Lucario, it's finally time for us to do this. Mega Evolve!"

Time slowed, and Korrina tried and fail to scream as she felt herself lift out of her body. She squeezed her eyes shut, but forced them open again a second later.

"You need to stop accepting things."

She was standing in a bizarre blue landscape, which stretched in all directions as far as she could see. A rolling mist that rose up to her knees covered the ground. Turning around, she saw Lucario standing behind a massive glass wall that seemed to block off any contact between the two of them. Had he just… spoken? "What?"

Lucario stalked up to the glass wall, and she hesitantly did the same. "Gurkinn. He's dead, and that hurt you. Erin let him die, which hurts you more. Stop telling yourself anything other than that."

Korrina rested her palm on the glass wall, a conflicted mess of emotions roiling inside of her. "I have to accept it. Isn't that the only way that I can achieve Mega Evolution with you?"

Lucario barked with laughter, then spun around and launched a vicious kick at the wall. Korrina flinched back as cracks webbed their way across the crystalline surface. "We're screwed up, Korrina. Don't you see it? Fleeting lives lived in nests of shattered glass. You've been trying to control me for what, fifteen years? You call your tower 'mastery,' as if a true Pokemon will ever allow themselves to be mastered. Mastery is destruction, only you can't destroy grief. You will never 'master' me."

Korrina took a step backwards from the wall. "So we'll never achieve Mega Evolution? Everything we've done to get stronger is just bullshit? Gurkinn's death is just..." She couldn't keep talking, and Lucario violently struck the wall for a second time.

The glass shuddered, and her Pokemon stared at her intently. "No. Mega Evolution is a mastery. There is another way."

"What do you mean?"

Lucario's aura flared to life around him. "Riley is of a dying breed. His Lucario will not tell him his secrets, because he has been mastered. The true aura guardian does not siphon their aura off a controlled Lucario, like a Joltik on a Mamoswine. The guardian becomes their Lucario's equal. They do not Mega Evolve, but Synchro Evolve."

Korrina frowned. "What does that mean?"

Lucario snarled savagely, "We're both damaged, Korrina. The only difference is that I fight it, and you accept it. I will not bond with you unless you start fighting it. A Synchro Bond ties the hearts and minds of a Pokemon and human together, to the point that they begin to take on each others physical characteristics. You are weaker than I am. I can help you get stronger, but you will not use me to get stronger anymore."

Her heart sank as it finally dawned on her what he meant. "The hundred battles we fought together… Our trip to Geosenge… My work with Riley… All of that was just me using you?"

Lucario nodded. "I got stronger. You didn't. You've leaned on me and the people around you for you entire life. Now that Gurkinn, your most stable support, is gone, you're beginning to realize that."

Korrina stared bleakly down at her hands. Resisting the urge to break down and cry, she stared up at the glass in between her and Lucario. _I can't show weakness now. I wanted to get stronger, didn't I? That's why all of this happened in the first place!_ Slowly, she tore control over herself away from her emotions and looked back down at Lucario.

"What do I need to do?"

Lucario smiled. "Break the glass in between us. The first transformation will be painful for both of us, but not nearly as much so as it would be for me during Mega Evolution. We will both become stronger, I swear."

Korrina stood up and slowly walked back up to the wall. The mists swirled and rose up around her, becoming denser and denser until they seemed to obscure everything but her partner. One kick was all it took to send the wall crashing down.

The Mega Stone and the Key Stone exploded into flashes of light that seemed to blind the clearing. Balled up energy washed over Korrina's body in waves, and she screamed as her entire body erupted in overwhelming sensation. The tiny mental string connecting Korrina and Lucario solidified and grew, and intense pain took over her body as Lucario's entire life seemed to flash past her eyes. She watched his separation from his family as an infant by a group of hunters, violence from a series of collectors and owners, unquestioning capture by Gurkinn, a world of harms that she could never have imagined her lifelong partner going through.

"Stop the transformation!" She could dimly hear Riley scream through a veil of rainbow light. Togekiss dove into the energy field only to be blow back by a massive pulse of aura that shook the woods around them.

The prismatic gleam of Mega Evolution abruptly changed to the blue of aura, surrounding her and Lucario. Lucario was the first to undergo the transformation. Spikes erupted from his feet as his entire body grew bulkier and more powerful. He roared as his entire body warped and changed, changing color and shape. The aura flared up even stronger, and the four elongated feelers on his head billowed out in the aura as if blow away by the wind.

Korrina tensed as the aura around her temporarily lapsed, then returned to her former agony as it rushed back into her with full force. Every bone in her body seemed to thicken, and she staggered under the new weight before she realized she was able to carry herself. A sense of vitality and power that she had never felt before rushed through her. Her clothes darkened from their pure white to a blue and black mixture, and her hair shot outwards into four ponytails. Streaks of black shot down each of them as her clothes molded themselves to her. Her roller skates seemed to melt into her feet before disappearing entirely along with her gloves, leaving her with spike-like ridges on all of her appendages. The blue around her turned to red as her eyes were covered with a light film, and the transformation completed.

 _"_ _All of this power comes from your inert aura."_ She looked around wildly, set on edge by newly heightened senses, before realizing that Lucario was the one who was speaking to her.

 _"What happened to me?"_

Lucario pushed away from his body, and a wave of aura blew through the clearing. _"_ _Synchro evolution. Most of it isn't permanent. Under normal circumstances, this would allow human and Pokemon to fight alongside each other as equals. Unfortunately, you have no control over your powers, so we're not even going to consider doing that. That's going to limit us, but there's nothing to be done about it. From this point in this battle forwards, we fight as one Pokemon who merely has an extra advantageous viewpoint. Understood?"_

 _"I hope so."_

Riley was cowering underneath a light green aura shield he had conjured up around his body, which he dropped as he stared at Korrina. "I have never seen this transformation before, and I've only ever heard of it in the ancient scripture. There is a very clear account of this in the Book of Aura, written by Sir Aaron himself. I could never have dreamed that I would see it in my lifetime."

Korrina froze as Riley released his Lucario and a Metagross alongside his Togekiss, all of whom flanked him. His hands glowed with a bright blue aura, and his face twisted into a nasty snarl. "The account tells of a Lucario and a young guardian who attempted Mega Evolution, but achieved something much darker instead. The transformation drove both insane, and they nearly destroyed Rota. The laws of the Guardians tell us that if the transformation ever should occur again, to eliminate it immediately."

Lucario shot towards Riley like a bullet. _"Alright, I take back everything I just said. Do not let them hit you! I'll take the Lucario first, because that's where most of Aura reserves are coming from."_

"Meteor mash and air slash!"

Korrina snapped out of her daze to see Metagross and Togekiss shooting towards her at full speed. She froze for a second before her instincts took over. She sprang to one side, dimly marveling at how easy it was to move as she simultaneously tried to fight through a haze of Aura and keep track of her sudden attackers. A blast of hyper-pressured air slammed into the ground next to her and she sprang away, years of skating instincts kicking in. Unconsciously sending tiny pulses of aura into her feet, she flipped in midair and charged back towards the Metagross.

"Stop it, Riley!" she screamed as the steel type shot forwards and she rolled to the side, wincing as her shoulder jammed into the ground.

In response, he turned to look at her and sent an aura sphere of his own at her head. His eyes were glazed over with a blue light, and she gulped as she realized that he wasn't listening to her anymore.

 _"_ _Korrina! Focus!"_ Lucario screamed across the bond. _"_ _If one of us looses control, so will the other. Just hold them off until I can beat this other Lucario."_

She dodged again as a hyper beam tore through the ground, narrowly missing her. The Togekiss swooped down with a Brave Bird, and she could feel the energy coming off of the fairy's body as it skimmed her head.

 _They are no better than the one who killed Gurkinn,_ a voice whispered in the back of her head. _Look at all of your power! Killing them is the first step towards avenging his death._

 _"_ _I can't hold on. This is too much."_

 _"_ _You have no choice. If we let up, Riley will probably kill us."_ Lucario grunted as he launched an all-out offensive on Riley's Lucario. Dual aura spheres launched past its head. As it ducked, Lucario slammed a power-up punch into its head, only to be knocked back by a metal sound and aura sphere combo. A furious exchange of blows lead to Lucario sweeping the other Lucario's balance away with bone rush before using.

Korrina felt Lucario's aura warp around her as her hands started to glow a bright blue. Riley was her escape from Erin, from her Grandpa's death. He had no right to fight her. He had no right to stop what he had begun! Her anger built as Togekiss and Metagross trained their attacks on her. On a complete whim, she charged at Riley's Pokemon.

 _"_ _Korrina, stop! You're loosing control!"_

 _"Shut up!_ _They betrayed us, just like Erin and Paul did!"_

A rational part of her mind screamed at her to stop and give up, to stop fighting and run, but she beat it down. Aura raged completely out of control around her body as she slammed her feet into Metagross' head, knocking the pseudo-legendary to its knees. Falling away, she landed on her back and her head jolted back, making the world around her spin wildly.

She winced slightly as she felt Lucario slip into a similarly crazed state as her, but couldn't focus on it as Togekiss exploded with a dazzling gleam. Closing her eyes and letting the aura around her guide her, she felt Lucario sprint over and launch the flying type into a nearby tree with an extreme speed attack. Her Pokemon knelt down besides her and propped her up on his knee, but she pushed him off and got up on her own accord.

The world turned blue, and she blacked out.

 **Later**

 _"Wake up."_

Korrina's eyes slowly opened to see Lucario huddled over her concernedly. Her entire body ached, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut again to prevent herself from passing out. "What happened?" she whispered softly.

Lucario pulled her into an upright position and propped her up against a fallen tree trunk by where they were sitting. _"_ _We failed. You lost control of your aura, and I couldn't help you."_

Korrina lurched forwards as her entire body raged against her wakefulness. Her head pounded as she slammed her hand down to support herself. The forest around her was completely unfamiliar. "Where are we?"

 _"I had no choice. He alerted the authorities while I was fighting Lucario. Told them we had gone crazy and needed to be eliminated._ _I had to get us out of there."_

She forced herself to wake up and looked at Lucario. Guilt was written all over his face, and she couldn't fathom why. "Did we get everything out of the house?"

Lucario nodded. _"Yes. The stones are gone, but we got everything else."_

Korrina sighed. "So, everything that we did after we left the gym… Geosenge Town… Now it really all was worthless, wasn't it?"

 _"_ _Not worthless."_ The jackal curled his paw up with a snarl. _"I won't let Gurkinn die in vain, and neither will you._ _We took the first step towards accomplishing Synchro Evolution. Now, we just need to master it and avenge his death."_

"But we don't have the stones anymore." Her glove was gone, and the rest of her clothing was an off putting blend of white, blue, and black. Pulling her ponytail down to her shoulder revealed that the black streak hadn't gone away either. It suited her, she thought.

 _"_ _That doesn't matter. What does is that we need to move if we don't want to be found."_ He stood up and started to leave the clearing, shooting her a pointed look as she remained motionless.

"Lucario." Her voice cracked a bit as she pulled herself into an upright position and stared at him.

 _"What?"_

She haltingly stood up, forcing her aching knees to hold her weight. "What happened to Riley? If he- If he really did call the police, why isn't he chasing us himself?"

 _"This is unimportant. We have to go."_ Lucario snarled.

Korrina curled her lip up and narrowed her eyes at her Pokemon, unconsciously shifting into a fighting stance. "Before Geosenge, we were partners, even if we didn't work together very well. Everything is different now. I won't give you orders, but that doesn't mean you can give them to me. Now, you will tell me where Riley is!" Aura flared up around her body ever so slightly, sending ripples of energy around her body.

 _"Fine."_ Lucario stalked out of the clearing, receding into the shadows. _"He's dead."_

Korrina's mind went blank, and she watched as he disappeared from view. _Riley is… dead?_ Slowly, she sank down to her knees and stared down at the ground, loose hair falling down into her face. Reaching up, she pulled a bluish-black strand down in front of her face and stared at it. Her vision blurred as tears clouded her eyes in a wrenching miasma.

"Grandpa… I'm so sorry," she whispered. _Neither of them deserved to die! Why did they have to die?_ _Why did Riley attack me?_

 _But you know why,_ a nasty voice whispered in the back of her head. _Erin Yvonne brought you to Geosenge Town. Erin knew more about the landslide than she told you. Erin didn't save Gurkinn when he was most in need. Erin sent you to Riley._ _Erin brought this curse on you._ _She must have know what would happen. She must have know you would kill him. Whose fault could it have possibly been except for hers?_

Blue flared around her body as she curled up in a desperate attempt to stop it, screaming into the empty forest, alone in her rage.

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Erin sighed, tightening her grip on the bamboo fishing pole in her hands. "Arceus, this is boring."

Kirlia was suspending herself in midair above the dark ocean water, absent mindlessly poking at the waves below. _"Well, it's your fault for staying up all night and talking to Paul, then getting up this early in the morning to fish out of all things."_

"Wait, how do you know about that? You were asleep!"

She groaned, flipping herself upright. _"_ _While you felt half asleep, I was half awake, you dummy."_

Erin's eyes widened. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize-"

 _"_ _I didn't really mind."_ Kirlia grinned evilly as she let herself down on the rock and stepped onto Erin's lap. _"_ _After all, watching you drool all over Paul was perfect for me."_

"Ew, gross!"

She giggled, before settling into a more serious expression. _"_ _Seriously, though. You and him hooked up, what, three weeks ago now? Have either one of you actually though about what it means for the two of you?"_

Erin blushed as her line got a sharp tug. Reeling it in, a small pink fish flopped around on the end of it. "Just a Luvdisk." She cut the line and fastened another lure to it before tossing fish and line back in the water.

 _"Answer the question."_

She glared at her Pokemon. "Well, I guess… Are we in a relationship? Why do you even care?"

The Emotion Pokemon sighed dramatically. _"Look, I can sense your emotions even without our bond, which makes them even stronger to me. Clearly, neither one of you has thought about it. At all. That's not entirely surprising, considering that Paul is pretty clueless, but still. The only reason you kissed in the first place was a rushed life or death situation. If you ask me, that's not a very good place for a relationship to start."_ She puffed out her chest and brushed her skirt off as she took a step away from Erin.

"What do you know about relationships? You're a Pokemon!"

 _"_ _As much as you do!"_

Erin shook her head as she shifted. "Paul…"

Kirlia settled down on the rock and kicked one leg over the other. _"_ _Come on, spit it out already! Otherwise, I'll be forced to watch you fish, which is worse that watching paint dry!"_

"I guess I feel like he gets me in a way that nobody else does."

 _"_ _But do you get him?"_

Erin fell silent as she watched the school of Luvdisk swirl around her lure, sending a cloud of bubbles to the surface. As each one popped, they sent ripples across the glassy surface of the cove, distorting the soft starlight above them. Her marked hand tightened its grip around the rod, trembling. The string shook ever so slightly, scaring away the Luvdisks around it. "Of course I get him. Why wouldn't I get him?"

 _This world needs something more to preserve it. Of course, you're so caught up in yourself that you don't even see your sister lying half dead at your feet. Or had you convinced yourself that you belong here? That Serena really cares about you as if you were family? That you haven't made the lives of every single person who you've come into contact with worse?_

Erin's eyes widened as Cerys' words seemed to replay in her head. "He needs me, Kirlia. He lost everything in his life too! I can help him! I need to help him."

Kirlia's face turned ugly as she looked at Erin. _"Forget about Cerys."_

Erin dropped the fishing rod and got to her feet, staring down at Kirlia. "I can't forget about her, not when she's behind this whole mess! Paul lost his entire life because of her! I can't let her carry through with her plan! I-"

 _"_ _I love you, Erin."_

She stopped mid rant, freezing to stare at her Pokemon. "What?"

Kirlia's eyes were kind as she tipped her head to one side. _"_ _I mean it. You're like a sister, a mother, and a best friend to me, all at the same time. For Paul, maybe you're even a little bit more than that. You know that, right?"_

Slowly, Erin allowed herself to settle back down to where she had been sitting. "Well, I guess so..."

She smiled and teleported over to hug the blond girl. _"_ _Well, then stop telling yourself how worthless you are! Paul and I both love having you around, especially when you're not hung up on Cerys. I miss you from back before Geosenge Town, the way that you were so carefree and happy. Can you give us something?"_

"What?"

 _"_ _Just for today..."_ Kirlia blushed and looked down at the rock below them. _"Mommy and Daddy, back when I was newly hatched… They took me down to the shore and we played together all day. Do you think today, with you and Paul and Druddigon and Deerling and Pidgeot, we could try to make it be like that again?"_

Erin's heart melted as she watched her Pokemon and stroked her hair softly. Kirlia had grown so strong that she had forgotten just how young she still was. "Of course we can. It'll be just like that, I promise."

 _"_ _Maybe that way, you'll finally understand that you do belong here with us."_

"Maybe..." Even so, it never failed to amaze her how wise her Pokemon could be, when she wanted to be.

Kirlia broke away from Erin and looked back down at the water. _"So, you'll talk to Paul about the two of you?"_

She nodded softly, picking the fishing rod back up again. "Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, Kirlia."

Kirlia smiled softly, then pouted as she settled back down on the rock. _"_ _I wasn't kidding about the fishing thing, though."_

Erin shot her a wry smile. "It's not like you have any better ideas."

 _"_ _Oh yeah?"_ She got back to her feet and spread her arms wide as she looked at the water. Erin's long hair billowed out behind her head as she unleashed a massive psychic that lifted the entire school of Luvdisk out of the water and into the air. _"_ _Choose the one you want, already."_

Erin reached down into her bag and clutched the pokeball she had specially placed in the corner. She caught sight of a glint of gold and grinned. "That one."

 _"_ _That will be 3,500 Poke, please."_

"What?"

The ball caught the morning sunlight as it dinged a successful capture.

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Good morning!"

Serena hazily nodded at the voice in front of her. "Good morning," she mumbled as she sloppily rubbed her eyes to wake herself up. Slowly, she blinked as dark shape lying on the floor of their cabin came into focus, along with a blue and yellow blob lying on top of him. "Wait, Ash!?"

"Don't worry about him." She looked up to see Clemont sitting at the desk tinkering with an invention. "He barged in at four this morning and collapsed on the floor. I would have gotten him onto his bed, but I figured that would wake you up, so I didn't bother."

She smiled, and knelt down to brush a loose bit of hair out of his face. "Well, I am relieved to know he's okay. If he hadn't come back by now..."

"You would have gone back out to go after him, wouldn't you have?" Clemont pushed his glasses up his nose and looked away knowingly.

Serena sweatdropped and laughed nervously. "Yeah, something like that. Clemont?"

"What's up?"

Nervously, she cupped her bad arm in her hand and looked back up at him. "Could you do me a favor and not mention last night to anyone? I don't want to make anyone worried about me."

He looked back at her, eyes filled with concern. "If you really feel okay, then yes. Are you sure you don't want to open up to us about it, though?"

She nodded. "I promised myself I would be stronger. None of that matters anymore." She looked past him to the odds and ends on his table. "What are you working on?"

The young inventor cackled evilly. "The future is now, thanks to science! Since today's competition is going to be fishing, I am creating the Catching-Water-Type-Pokemon-Catching-Rod-Catchinator!"

She giggled nervously. "Well, it does say what it does!"

Bonnie stirred and vacantly sat up in her bed as a bell rang through the camp. Clemont frowned slightly as he rose from his workspace. He walked over to her and brushed her forehead with a frown. "She seems okay today, I guess." He looked over to her and nodded. "Hey, we should probably try to find Elle and Erin and eat breakfast. Sounds good?"

Serena nodded, and she quickly grabbed a pair of clothes and disappear into the bathroom to change. Clemont gave an appraising nod as she came out. "You know, the shorter hair really does look pretty good on you. Maybe you could even get Elle to give it a little trim to even it out a bit." He had gotten Bonnie out of her pajamas and dressed, and picked her up and put her on his back. She had fallen back asleep, and was snoring on the blond boy's shoulder.

Serena shrugged as she took one last look at Ash. "Nah, I kinda like it the way it is now."

A flock of Swablu soared high overhead as a flood of campers rushed towards the main camp hall. A Machamp and a Maractus faced off on the beach as a crowd of kids gathered around to watched. She smiled, feeling some of the darkness that had been weighing down on her lifting off. She dug her hands into her pockets and adjusted her new hat as they walked into the dining hall.

"SERENA! YOUR HAIR!"

Elle slammed into her at full speed, knocking her back a couple steps. Serena laughed lightly as Elle's expression grew even more shocked and her mouth fell open. "So, what do you think?"

Her friend ran a hand through her pixie cut. "But, your long hair! It's gone! What did you do to it?"

She shrugged. "I was ready for a change, I guess. Wanna go get food?"

Elle and Clemont nodded, and the four of them walked over to the mess counter where the kitchen staff was busily manning the food. Serena grabbed a plate and made a beeline for the massive pancake stack in the center of the buffet. Three of the assistants, with funny hair colors, watched her go, and she stared back at them funnily. _Do I know them from somewhere?_

"Raichu! Stop!"

Serena looked up to see Tierno frantically chasing a Raichu around in circles, only it wasn't a Raichu. The mouse Pokemon was levitating above the ground on its tail like a surfboard, and its eyes were bright purple. It had used psychic on a plate of pancakes, and was zipping around its trainer's head while devouring the entire stack. She grabbed a plate of her own and started stacking pancakes onto it. "Hey, Tierno!"

Tierno turned around and looked at her with a frown. "Hey, I remember you! You're Yvonne's sister, Serena. Sorry about Raichu, but for some reason, he goes absolutely crazy whenever he sees pancakes. He's got some smooth moves to get away from me, though."

She looked up at Raichu, who was now halfway through the stack. "Is that really a Raichu? I've never seen one like that before."

He nodded. "Yeah, it's actually an Alolan Raichu. My dad went on a business trip there years ago and caught me a Pichu for when I became a trainer." His face fell and he sighed. "I was so surprised when I evolved him and his form was different."

Syrup drizzled down the side of Serena's stack of buttermilk pancakes as she set it aside and grabbed a second plate. "Does that have something to do with the pancake thing?"

Tierno laughed and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, apparently it's a running joke in Alola. Nobody can figure out why Raichu looks so different, so they just say it's because of eating too many pancakes. Honestly, I kinda believe that. Are you really going to eat all of those?"

She looked down at the two full stacks and blushed lightly. "Maybe, but I-" She stopped talking and stared at Tierno as he started to spin in circles and hum. "What are you doing?"

"It's true, you're even cuter than your sister!" he fawned, blowing her a kiss.

Serena leaned back to let it float by her and blushed even deeper. _She's not my sister, but… Do you really think so?_ "What were you saying earlier about smooth moves?"

Instantly, Tierno snapped out of his trance and dropped into a spin on the ground. "See, my dream is to be the best dancing battler of all time. My team is ready to move and groove 24/7!"

"Your dream, huh," she murmured softly as he went off on a tirade about his Pokemon. She carefully balanced her second plate against her chest with her bad arm and began to walk back to the rest of her friends, but she stopped mid pace.

 _Do I have a dream?_

"Professor, thank you so much for your research."

Serena looked up and rushed over to where Professor Sycamore and Erin were talking in a corner. Sycamore handed Erin a manila folder and nodded. "Don't think anything of it. I'm just glad that I was able to help you and Kirlia understand your situation."

The professor walked off, leaving Serena and Erin standing together. Awkwardly, she said, "Good morning."

Erin's eyes widened slightly as her eyes flickered up to Serena's hair. "Did something happen last night? Is your hand okay?"

Serena's face fell and she looked away. "My hand isn't there anymore."

"Oh." As she turned to walk away, Erin reached out a hand and stopped her. "Wait, I can help you with that," she said, trying to take a plate from her.

Trying to will her arm to stop shaking, she yanked the plate away from Erin. Unable to keep her grasp on it, it flew into the air and landed on the floor, sending batter and syrup everywhere.

Erin stared at the mess on the floor. "Shit. Serena, I'm-"

"You're what? Sorry you couldn't help me?" she hissed.

"What's the big deal? I mean, there's no way that you could eat two stacks of pancakes," Erin shrugged, bending down to pick up the fallen plate.

Serena shook her head. "Arceus, you really don't get it. I don't need your help, Erin _Yvonne._ Stop acting like it!"

"Seriously, what happened to you last night? Why would you cut your hair?"

Her fist clenched tighter around her plate of pancakes. _Arceus, I'm so done with this sister act today. I decided last night that_ _I would fight back. That starts now._ "Why should I tell you? You still haven't fulfilled your promise to me. Remember the bus?"

"Yes, but-"

Serena swept loose hair out of her face with her bad arm and turned on her heel. "Stop trying to fix me, Erin. Sooner or later, you're going to break something."

She stalked back to the pancakes, set her plate down, and took out a pokeball. Rotom appeared with a manic grin as it looked back at Erin. _"Why, good morning Princess! Do I sense trouble in the palace?"_

Fixing her best glare on her Pokemon, she slammed a plate down on its head before shoving it into its arms. "You know I have a special place in my heart reserved for hating you, right? Carry."

Fake tears rolled down Rotom's screen as she piled pancakes back onto the plate. _"_ _You crazy bitch, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Are you binging on food now because of your inadequacy?"_

"You are my Mudsdale. You do not speak, for you exist only to carry my pancakes." Grabbing the other plate, she waved for him to follow with a yawn.

Five minutes later, she was back in Team Froaky's cabin, staring at the boy who was softly sleeping on the matted floor. She set the pancakes down next to him with a sigh and stared at him for a moment, marveling at how peaceful he looked. Reaching over, she softly set Pikachu and Froaky down next to him and shook his shoulders. "Ash?"

"Huh?"

She shook him again harder. "Ash!"

His eyes slowly opened and he stared up at for a second, slowly blinking. She leaned over him with a frown as he suddenly shot straight up, slamming his head into hers. "Augh! Serena? Where am I? What's happening?"

She smiled softly and blushed as she looked down at the pancakes. "What are you talking about, silly? You slept through the bell, so I brought you breakfast."

"Huh?" Ash looked around him slowly, then down at Froaky and Pikachu. "That's weird. How did we end up back here, and why is Froaky back?" He looked up at her normally for a moment, then a shudder visibly ran though his body as his eyes widened in shock. "Serena! Your hair!"

Serena's face fell, and she looked away from him. "So you don't like it?" she asked softly.

Ash shook his head with a blush. "No, I like it a lot. You look beauti…" He looked away quickly and picked Pikachu up from where he was lying. He stroked the electric mouse's tail, getting a small coo from his Pokemon. "Seriously, though. How did I get back here?"

She had to dig her fingernails into her palm to stop herself from passing out. _He just called me beautiful!_ "Clemont said you stumbled in at four in the morning and collapsed onto the floor. Did you make up with Froaky?"

He frowned and dug his fingers into his messy black hair. "That's the weird thing. After searching for a while, Pikachu stopped me, and I realized why our training wasn't working anymore. I talked to Hawlucha and Fletchinder, and then..." He laughed and scratched the base of his nose. "I don't know what happened. All I can remember is this weird rainbow light, and then you woke me up." His eyes widened. "I know! We teleported to an alternate universe, and you're actually a different Serena!"

A cold wind seemed to run through the cabin as she laughed at his ridiculous expression. "Don't be silly. I'm sure something must have happened, but that's absurd. Come on, I brought you pancakes!"

His eyes lit up like a flashlight. "Pancakes? Did you make them?" He looked around him wildly until he found the plates. Grabbing one, he started to rapidly devour the stack.

Serena shook her head wistfully. "No, I wish I could cook like this. Those weird camp chefs made it, so you should thank them."

Ash nodded and mumbled something, and they lapsed into the joyous silence of eating.

"Ash?"

"Yeah?"

She took a deep sigh and looked over at Froaky, who was still peacefully sleeping by his side. "I'm sorry I got so worked up yesterday about what happened. I didn't mean to yell at you like that, and-"

"Stop." She looked up to see Ash smiling at her. "You shouldn't be angry at yourself. If anything, I'm grateful."

"Huh?"

He reached over and grabbed his hat, slowly tracing the half pokeball logo. "You see, you and Pikachu both helped me to remember something important. I was so focused on getting stronger that I forgot why I needed to be strong in the first place. It's not for me, or for any league, but for you guys and my Pokemon. So thank you, Serena."

"Oh." She looked down at her pancakes and went back to digging her fork into the soft fluffy dough.

"Do you want me to help you cut it?" Ash asked softly, holding up his knife.

She glared at him. "Why is everyone trying to help me today? I can do it myself."

Ash shrugged. "No worries, if that's how you feel. I was only trying to make it easier for you."

"Good." The fork bit into the pancake slowly as she sawed it back and forth. _Although, when you put it that way, I really wouldn't mind it at all._ "Ash?"

Pikachu rolled over onto his back as Ash tickled him. "What's up?"

Serena's face grew serious, and she set her fork down as she looked at Ash. "Did you mean what you said to Froaky?"

He slowly shook his head. "No, but I snapped. Whatever little trust there was left between us must be gone now. He's already tried to abandon me once."

"You have to make up with him."

"I know."

"Ash..."

"What is it?"

She blushed and looked away. "Do you… think that I can be strong?"

"That's a silly question."

"Why?"

He closed his eyes and smiled as he ate his last bite of pancake. "Isn't it obvious, Serena? I think you already are."

Pikachu curled up and sighed in his sleep, and a smile brushed its way across Serena's face.

"Thank you, Ash."

 **[A/N] Korrina's got some problems.**

 **Legitimately, Game Freak's excuse for Alolan Raichu is that it ate too many fluffy pancakes. Because this is Pokemon, they can get away with it too.**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Pokefan87, signing out.**


	36. Ignition

Chapter 36: Ignition

 **[A/N] Happy one year anniversary! Kinda hard to believe that it's been that long, actually. Hopefully this chapter will mark the start of more regular chapters again, but then again, I'm not exactly writing solo perspective 2000 words chapters anymore. As always, R &R!**

 **Also, here's a quick PSA for all of you Amourshippers out there. I run what is currently the biggest community for Amourshipping Stories on this site, called Quality Controlled Amour. Now that we're firmly into Gen Seven territory, feel free to check it out if you want to read some of the best Amour fics on the site, and even some older deep cuts I've found digging through the archive. Despite the fact that Amour is one of the most popular and only canon major ships, it still doesn't that big of a presence on the site (Only 1.5k stories out of 90k feature Serena, and less than half have Amour.) Reading and following some of the stories in there is the best way to support the ship and the fandom.**

 **Alain's Perspective – Ninja Village**

"Wake up, boy."

Alain groaned as he rose to a sitting position, head aching wildly from where he had hit the floor the night before. "Where am I?"

The room around him seemed more traditional from the mat he was sitting on. Wide windows framed one side and a closed set of double doors blocked his back. In front of him, an old man sat cross legged with his back to him. "I do expect your gratitude right now, of course. If I hadn't stopped her, Yuki would have already killed you to fulfill her blood oath."

 _That didn't answer my question._ Slowly, he felt his panic begin to bubble up inside of him, and he fought to keep it down. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I need to find Mairin."

The old man hummed lightly. "Now, that won't be possible. Unless you can convince me of your innocence, we will execute you. So, who are you?"

"Who… am I?" Alain whispered. His mind felt so empty, as if it had been wiped entirely clean. The only thing he could latch on to was Mairin. "My name is Alain, and I have to find Mairin."

"Fool." The old man slowly turned around and stared at him. "Where are you from? Who is your employer? What is your purpose?"

Alain shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, but I can't remember anything. You must have the wrong person."

"That is your defense?" He slowly rose to his feet and grabbed a pokeball off of his belt. "Either you are telling the truth or you are a fool. There is only one way to tell."

Alain flinched back as a Gallade pointed its sword at his throat. "Wait, I haven't done anything! Why are you trying to kill me?"

"Hidden power!"

The room erupted in green light, and Alain watched his hand as the black mark snaked across it. This time, it hurt less than before but still felt like a knife biting into his flesh. He bit back a scream as the old man watched.

"I will give you one more chance before I rip the answer out of you my self. Who are you, who do you work for, and what have you done with Sanpei?"

 _Sanpei?_ "Please, I have no idea what the mark is or what you are talking about! What are you going to do to me?"

The old man looked at Gallade and nodded, and Alain instantly blacked out.

When he came to, the old man was standing over him with a frown. Alain looked up at him fuzzily. "What did you just do to me?"

To his surprise, the old man sank into a deep bow. "I am so sorry for all of the inconvenience we have caused you. What you say is the truth; you have no memories of anything incriminating. My name is Hanzo, and I ask for your forgiveness."

Frowning, Alain said, "It's okay, I guess? Did you really just look at my memories?"

Hanzo sighed and nodded. "Yes, and it would seem that someone has carefully removed all of your memories except of the young girl you call Mairin. Unfortunately, I was unable to discover anything else in my search."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Alain looked down at his ripped and singed clothes, and the singular glove on his hand. "Are you going to make me leave this place? If so, where should I go?"

"I can't let you do that." The old man's eyes softened at Alain's bewildered expression. "I have no basis to kill you, but you still are an important clue to finding Sanpei. We have an extra lodging set up for the extra visitors that occasionally pass through our village. We will allow you to stay there."

"Thank you very much. I still have more questions, though." Alain's head was spinning with more mysteries about himself than he had come in with, and he desperately wanted to solve them.

Hanzo shook his head as he rose to his feet. "Understandable, of course, for someone in your situation. Unfortunately, my duties as village elder must take me away from here. I believe I already know what you will ask first, however. We will do what we can to learn more about Mairin, but we cannot permit you to leave this place to search for her. Follow me."

Alain sighed in relief as he was led out of the room by Hanzo and out into the open air of the village. Situated in the center of a massive crater, dwellings were carved into the massive stone outcroppings that surrounded him. The center was a peaceful grassy area with dotted farms and a river cutting through the center. The elder led him around the edge of the crater to a small cave with a brass door set into the stone. "You will stay here. I will send someone to tend to you shortly."

"Thank you." Alain pushed the door open to see a small room, neatly furnished with a table and chairs, a wardrobe, and a large mat to cover the stone floor. A small bed sat in the corner of the room underneath a small slit that provided a view of the plains outside. Hanzo left him sitting in front of the table with the door open.

 _At least I'm not dead._ Reaching over, he surveyed the items that had been left for him on the table. Two sets of plain white clothing were neatly folded next to the strange bracelet he had been wearing when he had appeared. Really, an appearance was the only way he could find to describe his situation. Why else would he have so few memories?

He could only grimace as he looked down at his clothes. His belt was passable, but the sweatshirt and sweatpants were beyond repair. He was caked in grime, sweat, and blood as well. Looking around, he spotted a simple metal tub in the corner filled with water and a stack of cloths for washing. It was barely bigger than a bucket, but he would be able to use the cloths to clean himself to some extent.

Thirty minutes later, Alain refastened his belt around the simple tunic. His dripping wet clothes hung from a series of simple hooks above the tub. Crouching back down, he picked up the strange bracelet and settled back into the chair. The prismatic colors seemed to shift under the shadowed light as the double helix inside glittered mysteriously. He traced the gemstone with his index finger, feeling the strangest sense of importance associated with it. Shrugging it off, he slipped the bracelet onto his wrist and tightly fastened the clamp.

The only thing left on the table was the red and white sphere. As he picked it up, he felt the same sense of deja vu he had with the bracelet, but stronger. It felt natural in his hand as he nearly unconsciously wound his arm back and tossed the ball into the air. In a flash, a small gray and red Pokemon appeared in the center of the room and looked up at him curiously. "Pawniard?"

Alain smiled as the small Pokemon stumbled across the room and carefully hugged his legs. He knelt down and looked at it. "You're very young, aren't you?" Pawniard nodded, and Alain quickly checked the essentials of his Pokemon. "So you're a she, huh? I haven't got the slightest clue why you were with me, but do you want to be partners?" He held out the ball for the Pokemon to carefully inspect, and she pressed the button and was sucked back inside.

"So it was a Pawniard in that ball."

Alain spun around and flinched back as he saw Yuki leaning in the doorway. "You."

She scowled as she looked him over. "What's it to you? I see they got you out of those horrible edgy clothes. You looked like you had crawled out of the sewers or something."

He blinked. "Don't ninjas wear all black all the time? Plus, I don't remember what those clothes meant or why I liked them."

"Shut up!" Her expression softened slightly as she stepped into the room and let the door swing shut behind her. "Anyways, I didn't want to do this, but Gin and Hanzo both told me that I had to… So… I, uh… Sorry?" She looked away from him with a pout as her bare toe traced a pattern.

 _Is she serious?_ Alain laughed incredulously. "You're kidding me, right? You tried to kill me without explaining what you were doing, kicked me and hit me with your stupid sword, and all that I get is sorry? I don't even know what I did wrong!"

"Hey, show some gratitude, asshole! You should be grateful I didn't kill you on the spot!" Yuki shot back and threw her pokeball into the air. "Decidueye, beat some sense into this guy."

The owl archer appeared, took one look at Alain, and pulled the strings on its hoodie tight. Shaking its head, it settled down onto his bed with a very audible sigh.

The purple haired girl glowered at her Pokemon as he struggled to hold back a laugh. She looked like she was about to lash out, but caught herself at the last second and sighed. "Look, I don't know who you are or why you're here, but apparently I'm in charge of you now. My name is Yuki."

"I'm Alain." He held out his hand to shake, but she looked at it before pushing it away.

"Don't make the mistake of thinking I like you. I still think you're responsible for kidnapping Sanpei." She drew back and leaned against the wall, pulling her ponytail over her left shoulder.

Alain watched her as she recalled Decidueye and looked down at the ground. Something had changed in her pose after she had mentioned him. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but his stomach beat him to the punch.

Yuki stared at him for a second before bursting out into laughter. "Poor thing. You must have not eaten in ages. That's so pitiful." She turned to leave the room and looked back over her shoulder. "It's almost lunchtime, anyways. You coming?"

He got up and hurried after her as she led him down through the center of the village to a low house built against the base of the crater. He flinched as every person they passed turned to look at him, fighting to keep his composure. She opened the door and ducked inside, and he hesitantly walked inside past her.

"Hi Mi-" Gin stopped short of the door as he saw Alain. "Wait, you're that pervert from yesterday, not Miss Yuki."

"I'm not a pervert..." Alain muttered as he jumped away from the threshold.

Yuki stormed across and grabbed the young boy by the shirt. "I've told you a thousand times, Gin. My name is YUKI, damn it!" She glanced over at Alain. "This is my stepbrother, the single most insufferable child in this village. Also, don't try to deny your clear perversion."

Alain sweatdropped. _Arceus, does she treat everybody like this?_ "That's ridiculous! You were dragging me across the plain with no explanation or warning whatsoever! I have a right to see what you look like, at the very least!"

She whirled around and fixed a baleful glare at him. "So you think that my breasts are all there is to look at, huh? I ought to take you back to Hanzo and have him kill you for your misogyny, pervert." She gestured behind her airily. "Gin, bring us soup and rice."

Alain stifled a laugh as Gin, who clearly knew that Yuki hadn't bothered to look, stuck his middle finger high into the air. "Right away, Miss Yuki!"

As Yuki calmed down slightly, he relaxed and allowed himself to take in his surroundings. The house seemed to be mostly unadorned, with an odd collection of housewares and other utilities scattered around the room. Two doors in the back seemed to lead to different rooms. Gin brought three place settings to the table, and the three settled down to eat lunch.

"So after I ran through my endurance drills, my stupid instructors tells me..." Alain stared into the murky depths of his miso soup as he contemplated the two people sitting beside him. _I wonder how Gin manages to cope with having such an annoying stepsister. Mairin would never be so abrasive or mean to anyone else._

Gin finished his meal and excused himself to resume his guard duty, and Yuki left to use the latrines. Alain, now alone in an unfamiliar home, stretched as he rose from the matted floor and glanced at the two doors he had noticed earlier. Deciding that there was no harm in taking a quick look, he got to his feet and slid the first open. Inside, he saw two simple futons separated by a screen.

The second room was a different story. Alain's jaw dropped as he stepped inside of the bigger room. Every single inch of wall space was covered in beautifully painted landscapes of places he didn't recognize. The floor was covered in the remnants and residue of old art projects. A desk with a computer was covered with pictures and paints. What drew Alain's attention the most, however, was the massive world map that had been pained across an entire wall.

 _Could this really be the world I live in? I don't recognize it at all._ Resisting a sudden urge to cry, he brushed his hand across the wall from black outlined region to region. "Kanto, Alola, Sinnoh, Kalos..." he murmured softly, desperately trying to assign some meaning to any of it.

 _Mairin was from Kalos._

Pasted to the wall with bits of glue were hundreds of tiny photos and handwritten notes. He saw exotic jungle vistas and towering mountains, alongside human constructions that he hadn't even imagined as possible. He had to squint as he read a note next to a picture labeled "Prism Tower" in Kalos.

"Lumiose City, the City of Lovers! Me + S eat at Cafe Classe on Vernal Ave, then Romantic Trip to top of Prism Tower," he read aloud with a frown. "Who's S?"

Looking over other notes, he quickly found that they all referred to "S." One was about a Dragonspiral Tower in Unova, and yet another on Sootopolis City in Hoenn. Alain staggered away from the wall, overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the world he knew nothing about. _Have I been to any of these places? Have I done any of these things?_

A reflection off of a framed photo on Yuki's desk caught his eye, and he picked it up. Yuki, dressed in a light blue dress, laughed as she leaned against a man with his hair in a drawn back mess in a nice suit. Their hands intertwined around matching golden bands as they smiled for the camera. A note in the corner read, "I always told you, you're cuter when you smile. Love, Sanpei."

"You have no right to be in there."

Alain spun around to see Yuki shaking with a cold fury that topped anything he had seen her exhibit before. He quietly set the photo down behind him, and asked, "Who is Sanpei?"

Yuki sagged even as she drew her sword. "He was my fiance. Get out of my studio."

He crossed back over the threshold and back into the unfamiliar world, and she slammed the door shut behind him.

 **Clemont's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Clemont grinned as he pressed the red button on the top of his invention. "Alright! The future is now thanks to science! Presenting the all new Catching-Water-Type-Pokemon-Catching-Rod-Catchinator!"

He held his pose for several seconds, then looked around in confusion. "Serena, is Ash okay? Normally, he would be jumping around if I created a new invention."

The blond haired girl sighed as she let her face tilt up towards the sun. Hat discarded to the side of her beach towel, she was lying on her back and sunbathing. He found to stop himself from blushing; he had never seen her so exposed before. With her shorter hair, she seemed like a completely different person than the one he had come to know in the past months.

Rolling away from him to look at Ash, who was sitting on a driftwood log a way down the beach, Serena shrugged. "He still has to decide how he's going to make up with Froaky. Also…"

Clemont frowned as she reaches up to adjust her sunglasses and brushed her fingers across her lips. "And what?"

She shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Don't you think the name is just a bit repetitive, though."

The lure at the end of the fishing machine bobbed along with the rising tide as he hung his head. "You really think so? I thought that I was getting better."

Serena sweat dropped as he watched her shrug noncommittally. "You should ask Bonnie about names more."

"I should?" She nodded, and his face fell as he sighed, his victorious mood sinking away into his pressing concerns. "And Ash is really…?"

"Mhm," she murmured peacefully, rolling over onto her stomach. Her knees bent as she buried herself in the towel and sighed contentedly. "This sun feels so good…"

Clemont tried to smile as he watched her. _She looks so peaceful right now, but… she never told me what really happened last night. Why did she blow up at Erin at breakfast? I would never have said anything like that to Bonnie. His eyes roved over her bad arm, and he sighed. I wish that she would just tell us how she really feels about what happened during the TE Disaster._

Now if only I could come up with a better name for my invention…

He tried to cast around for conversation, but Ash and Serena were both unresponsive. Awkwardly, he paced back and forth in front of his machine, feeling extremely out of place on the beach in his blue and gray jumpsuit. Finally, the rod began to beep excitedly and he jumped at the opportunity to make himself useful. _Of course, I'm the only one in our group who cares about getting points for camp right now, so…_

Setting the matter aside, he enthusiastically worked a series of controls and levers on his command panel. The long rod snapped straight up, sending a small blue and yellow Pokemon flying into the air. It let go of the lure and hit the beach, indignantly rolling to a halt with a squeal.

Clemont grinned and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Just my luck! Chinchou is an electric type, so I'll catch it!"

The sun glimmered as it reflected off of his glasses, giving them a glowing sheen. The Chinchou's eyes widened, and she cried out happily as she launched herself forwards and grabbed onto his face. He cried out in surprise as he toppled backwards. Touching one bio luminescent light to each of his lenses, she lets a burst of electricity that caused him to yell in pain.

Frazzled, he sat up as the Pokemon jumped away with a… well, he didn't know quite how he was supposed to read it. A burst of laughter made him look back over at Serena. "Hey, what's so funny?"

She snorted and shook her head. "Well, Clemont, you do look a little bit like a Chinchou when your glasses are pushed up like that, so maybe she thought you could be her mate."

Clemont's face turned an unhealthy shade of red as his mouth dropped open. "Wh-wh-what do you mean, I look like a mate?" A mental image of Bonnie on one knee proposing to a Pokemon for him drove him over the edge, and he blacked out.

He came to as something wet and slimy rubbed itself across his face. Screaming, he jumped away from the Pokemon as Serena doubled over in laughter. Despite himself, he grinned even as he exclaimed, "Hey, that's not funny!" _She's laughing! I really don't understand her at all right now. After last night, shouldn't she be totally depressed._

Chinchou put her tiny hands on her hips indignantly, and shot a tiny bolt of electricity at Clemont. Remembering that he was trying to catch her, he pulled out a pokeball and threw it. "Alright Bunnelby, use dig!"

The rabbit appeared in midair with an exuberant cry, and shot downwards into the ground at top speed. The Angler Pokemon looked around in confusion before flying into the air as Bunnelby rammed into her from below. Clemont grinned victoriously as he pulled a pokeball out from his pocket and tossed it at her. "Gotcha!" It landed on the sand with a soft thud and shook twice before dinging a successful capture.

Serena smiled as Clemont picked up his new Pokemon and pocketed it. "You know, I think that Chinchou really likes you, although I didn't think that she was your type..." She looked away airily with a barely concealed smirk as he felt his legs begin to clatter together.

"S-S-Serena, no! Don't you go and be like that too! Why are you so weird today?"

Serena's face fell, and she sat back down on her towel as she massaged her bad arm. "Am I really being weird?"

He unconsciously nodded as he let his embarrassment slip away before coming to his senses. "Wait, no, I didn't mean it like that."

The tide rushed over the sand and Staryu, leaving a line of foam behind in its wake. Serena's eyes seemed to hold something immeasurable to him as she stared out at the coastline. "It's okay, Clemont. I know you didn't. Anyways, I don't know why I expected this many changes to not be weird."

Sighing, the blond inventor settled down on the sand next to her, and stared up at the sky above them. "Serena, I know you didn't tell me what really happened last night."

Stoic, her hair blew back in the gentle breeze as sand rolled over the brim of her hat. "I'm sorry. It's just..."

Clemont hung his head as his fingers dug under the corner of her towel. "Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who just ruined our fun day at the beach."

"Not that." He stopped fidgeting, stunned, and she turned to look at him with electrifying blue eyes. "Do you think of me and Erin as sisters?"

"I…"

"Do you?"

He frowned, uncomfortably shifting his jumpsuit against the ground. "I don't know what to think. I mean, you look like it, right? You hair color is the same, your height is the same, your eyes are the same. If you hadn't told us otherwise when we first met, I would have thought you two were identical twins." His brow furrowed in thoughtful contemplation. "Actually, now that I think about it, didn't your mom say you were sisters? Does that have something to do with the way you've been acting?"

She shook her head and pulled several grains of sand out of her hair. Rolling them between her fingers, she said, "Last night, I made a decision that I wasn't going to be the same person who I've been before." Bitterly, she laughed as she flopped down on the towel. "Old habits die hard, I guess. I'm sorry if I scared you, with the screaming and all. I would have done something incredibly stupid if my Pokemon hadn't been there."

"Ash and I are both worried about you, you know. Ever since you were kidnapped by the Syndicate..."

Serena rolled over and picked up her hat. She flipped it over and took the simple golden locket lying underneath before strapping it to her neck. Clasping it with her only hand, she suddenly looked immeasurably sad to him. "You're my best friend, Clemont, but there are some things that I need to figure out for myself. I going to go check on Ash for a bit. Are you okay fishing alone?"

 _Even when she's down, she cares about other people._ He nodded, and Serena unsteadily stood up and picked her way down the beach to the raven haired boy.

Standing alone with his invention, Clemont's thoughts drifted off to his younger sister, still asleep in their cabin, and of his plans to return to Lumiose City.

 _Can I really do it? Can I really leave the only true friends I've ever had?_

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"We need to talk."

Erin uncomfortably shifted the strap of her bathing suit top as she watched for Paul's reaction. The mauve haired boy's eyes sparkled with mirth as he looked at her. "Well, we're talking right now, aren't we?"

Erin sighed as she sat down next to him. "I'm serious. Kirlia won't stop giving me a hard time until I do this."

Kirlia was running around in circles on the beach with Deerling, and Erin could feel her happiness radiating off of her in waves. Druddigon was lying on the beach asleep, while Paul's Pokemon were in a group water fight.

"So what do we need to talk about?"

Erin blushed, incredibly self conscious of how she was dressed. "Well… I-I mean, me, well, us, sort of?"

"Oh," he deadpanned.

Erin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, oh? Ever since TE, when you, well, you kissed me, and then we did it again, and-"

"Stop." Paul stared at her, sending jitters down her spine as she stopped mid sentence. A light rouge flushed his cheeks, and he reached out to grab her hand. "If that's what this is about, then I suppose we've put this off for long enough. I need you to tell me something."

"Paul, you know that I-"

His eyes flashed, and he shook his head. "Listen to me. It's not that. I need you to tell me if we can trust each other."

Erin felt like she had been punched in the stomach. "You don't… trust me?"

"Do you remember what I told you in Geosenge Town?"

She remembered the empty darkened room, the dusty air, the closed door; of course she remembered her confession. "But I told you everything! About who I really am, about where I come from, about..."

His expression was stony. "Did you know that fifty thousand people would die because of Cerys? Did you know that our only other mutual friend would hate us after her grandfather died? Did you know that Cerys had screwed my life over too? Did you-" His breath caught in his throat, but he kept talking. "Did you know you would make me fall in love with you?"

Erin's eyes glistened as the question hung in the air like a fruit laden branch.

"You… fell in love with me?"

Paul sighed as he leaned further back to stare at the sky. "I wish it were that simple. Back then, I told you that if my whole life was a lie, then there was no reason why I couldn't believe another one."

"So this is all just a lie?" Erin whispered. "Just a meandering daydream without an end or a beginning?"

"We both are living in our lies, Erin. I'm asking you if I can trust you to let yours go."

Shock threatened to overwhelm her before she pulled back. "No."

Paul's face erupt in a world of hurt, and he turned away. "I see."

"You're wrong."

"Huh?"

Erin got to her feet and looked down at Paul. "You know, the longer that I stay here in this world, the less I can remember the one I left behind? This world feels more real to me than anything else. Sometimes I even find myself wondering whether that life I used to lead was a dream. That's the real lie. What's here, the two of us, is real."

Hope rekindled in his eyes, Paul rose to his feet. "Erin Yvonne, can I put my trust in you?"

A wordless nod brought them together, and the world faded around them until they broke apart.

"So are we-"

"Yeah, I think we are."

Erin floated back down to her spot on the rock, and Paul did the same. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he laced his fingers around hers. Together, they enjoyed the beautiful summer day and the joys of their Pokemon below.

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Ash."

Serena poked his shoulder, and Ash was forced to break his staring contest with a Dwebble who had been sitting down the beach from him. "What's up?" he asked, subdued.

She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. Why am I over here? I don't really have a goal, other than to be with him. Fighting off her blush, she shrugged as she plopped down on the beach. "Nothing."

The conversation stalled, so she called Fennekin over and began to brush through her fur. Her Pokemon sighed contentedly as she worked through a series of knots and tangles, digging her paws down into the sand.

"Serena?"

"Yeah, what is it?" she asked as he slid off the side of his rock to sit next to her.

A strange expression that she couldn't quite read flashed across his face. "Well, about what happened last night, when you, when we, well, you know…"

Dignified as always, Serena let out a small noise that was halfway between a squeak and a cry for help. "Huh?

His eyes flashed with distress, and he looked at her as if asking for help. "I- I'm not completely clueless about this sort of things, but… why did you k- I mean, do that to me?"

Her heart instantly felt as if it had been hit by a ton of bricks. "You don't already know?

"I… I thought that we were best friends. You're the closest friend that I've ever had, Serena. I don't know what to think now." Ash sighed as he spun a pokeball on his palm. "Can you tell me, please?"

Serena froze up, staring at the raven haired boy she had grown to love. _He wants me to tell him how he feels? This is my chance! But…_

She opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. _No! This isn't happening! I want this! I can't doubt myself, not when I have a chance like this._

 _"_ _You were too PATHETIC to fight your own battles!" Ash's voice whispered in the back of her mind._

Her bad arm twinged as she stared at him. _I don't recognize the person that either of us have become._

"Have you made up with Froaky yet?" The question erupted from her lips before she could stop it, and she immediately opened her mouth to take it back before stopping herself. Before the TE Disaster, she would have never imagined her crush as conditional, but now…

Ash's face darkened, he turned away slightly. "No, I haven't. I don't know what to say anymore."

Serena narrowed her eyes at him. "So you're using me to solve your problems for you? I told you, you need to make up with him!"

"That's not true, I-"

Emotions wildly conflicting inside of her, Serena couldn't hold back her anger any longer. "Ash, that's a lie. You know I-" She halted for a second before starting again. "You don't give up, Ash. On anything. I meant what I said in the forest. I don't know how I feel about you like this."

Ash gaped at her. "Serena… You never raised your voice like this before camp. Is something wrong? Don't you care-"

"Arceus, Ash, of course I care! Can't you see that you're tearing me apart right now?" she yelled back at him, and he visibly flinched back at the palpable agony in her voice. "I'm not the same person that I was, and neither are you. I can't tell you how you feel until I know whether or not you even are the Ash Ketchum I love!"

The empty space between them felt infinitely wide as they stared at each other. Finally, Ash whispered, "Serena, I-"

"No." She took a step backwards, and then another. "I'm trying to hold on right now. Please don't make me push you away."

Turning on her heel, she sprinted away with her head down as Fennekin desperately scampered after her.Ash was left standing alone in her wake.

 **Ash's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Ash panted as he slowed down, stopping slowly as the shore faded away in the distance. For a moment, he simply stared at the endless greenery around him, not fully processing what had just happened.

"Damn it!" He turned and kicked a tree, sending a flock of Fletchling spiraling into the air. Crying out in pain as his foot throbbed, he grabbed Froaky's pokeball and chucked it against a stump. Froaky appeared, disoriented, as he stalked over and picked up the pokeball.

The blue frog looked around, then glared at Ash. _"What did you do?"_

Ash settled into a position to start running as he channeled his anger into determination. "You want to be properly trained? That starts now. If you want to learn double team, you have to be faster than me."

Froaky gave him a hard look for a moment before nodding and matching Ash's stance, and the two took off as if a gun had been shot.

 **Elle's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Mairin, are you done in there yet?"

"No!" Mairin yelled back, and Elle sighed as she sank down the door frame.

"What are you even doing in there?"

"I, uh… Well, I tripped over the toilet and into the bathtub, and now I can't get out."

Elle rolled her eyes as she swung the door open to see a sheepish Mairin halfway into a one piece bathing suit sandwiched into the tub. Suppressing a giggle, she reached down and lifted her out. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

She scratched the back of her head and shrugged. "Well, you see, I'm just a little bit clumsy..." She tried to nonchalantly slide her bathing suit on, but ended up with her elbow stuck in the right strap instead.

"Here, let me help you with that," Elle said with a smile. She helped the red head put the suit on before zipping up the back. "Tada! It's perfect on you!"

Mairin smiled at herself in the mirror as she pulled her green hat down on her head. "Thanks, do you really think so?"

"Of course I do! Now, let's go have fun!"

The two girls left their cabin and made their way down to the beachfront. Elle couldn't help but grin as she watched the ten year old wildly careen around in front of her. _Just watching her makes me wish that I had that much energy! I wonder what her journey to get here has been like._

"Professor Sycamore!" Mairin exclaimed as she skidded to a halt at his feet. "Where can I get a fishing rod?"

"Right over there! My assistant Sophie is handing them out. How are Chespie and Bebe today?" Sycamore asked cheerfully.

Mairin twirled as she released her Pokemon. "They're great, aren't they!" Chespie enthusiastically agreed as he jumped into the air then used a vine whip to push himself onto Mairin's shoulder.

"Well, I'm glad that you're feeling better today. Alain would be happy to see you like this too."

Elle frowned as Mairin's face darkened slightly before she bounced away with a "Thanks, professor!" thrown back over her shoulder.

After getting fishing poles together, they walked down the beach towards a shady spot under an overhanging willow tree. Elle smiled at the openness of the world around them. Grabbing her belt, she pressed the buttons on all three of her Pokeballs. "Skitty, Swirlix, and Petlil, come on out!"

Swirlix and Petlil both took one look at the shore and made a beeline for the water. Skitty jumped up as Elle scooped her into her arms instead, and they settled down together on a rock. Elle got her hairbrush out, and Skitty purred in delight as she started to groom the pink kitten.

Mairin hesitated as Chepsie tugged on her hand, and Elle watched as she reached down for the last ball on her belt. Elle frowned as she noticed a strange black glove on the young girl's hand for the first time. _Was she wearing that yesterday?_ Mairin clenched her fist around it slightly before tossing up into the air wordless and letting the Pokemon inside spill out.

Elle gasped as a massive Charizard appeared on the beach with a roar and a blast of fire. Rows of puckered red scars crisscrossed their way across the Pokemon's body, and it looked battle scarred and beaten up. Mairin glanced over at Elle, realized that she was watching, and walked over to her slightly unsteadily.

"That Charizard isn't yours… is he?" Elle asked softly.

Mairin's lip trembled, but she stopped herself from crying. "He is now that Alain is gone."

Skitty bounced off of Elle's lap to rub against the younger girl's legs as Chespie hugged her neck and Elle got up to hug her as well. "Hey, it's okay. Do you want to tell me who Alain is?"

Mairin shook her head into Elle's shoulder, and she sighed as Charizard turned to look out of the rolling ocean behind them. "Can we just enjoy the beach today?"

Elle nodded. "Sorry I asked."

"No, don't be." Mairin smiled as she turned away towards the waves. "Really, I'll tell you some other time. I just miss him right now, that's all."

Elle watched her thoughtfully as she dove under the waves with Chespie not far behind.

 **[A/N] Two talks about relationships, one of which goes better than the other. Also, Clemont gets some high quality time in the spotlight. I promise that Bonnie will be back up and on her feet soon enough. Mairin and Elle are developing something of a little-big sister relationship. Also, Alain does some stuff too.**

 **Quick look ahead – I'm going to try to keep camp to just 3-4 more chapters, but it might end up being five. After that, two single arc chapters before what will likely be a three chapter Shalour City Gym arc. Beyond there, it's on to Shalour City and the rest of Kalos! Part Two is still on track to be 30-35 chapters, so we're about two fifths of the way through. My hope is to be at Coumarine City by June, but it's clear how my goal last year to be at Summer Camp by summer worked out, so…**

 **Now, to reviews. Thank you to Guilmon and Quagsire for your reviews, and I always appreciate the time you take to give feedback here.**

 _ **Have a nice day (Guest) – You bring up a couple legitimate concerns here that I want to respond. I would appreciate it if you could leave a signed review next time, though, so I can respond directly.**_

 _ **First, as to the structural issues, I have a couple ideas about what you're referencing here, but could you please specify?**_

 _ **Battles – Yes, the earlier ones are really lackluster, but I think some of the Tournament Extraordinaire Arc were pretty good, especially the AshvGary battle.**_

 _ **Diantha – I have to agree with you here. This is probably the single biggest mistake that I made with this Fanfic. I wanted to arbitrarily create internal conflict with Diantha, give a bad excuse for Malva's challenge, and give Deerling a win (A grass type beating a champion's Talonflame? I cringe so hard every time I reread that scene)**_

 _ **Synchro Evolution – This is canon, so it doesn't feel that original. That being said, the only instances where it powers up the users beyond a mental connection is Mega Evolution or a transformation like Ash-Greninja. That leaves three examples – AlainvCerys, where Charizard was absolutely slaughtered by her Malamar and her SPOILERS REDACTED. ErinvDiantha, which has its aforementioned flaws. Finally, KorrinavRiley, which I presume you haven't read because your review of chapter 25 seemed to feel like you stopped reading.**_

 _ **Anyways, if you see this, thank you for your detailed review, and I always appreciate the criticism.**_

 **Always remember that your critiques are just as welcome as positive reviews. Make sure to head over to Quality Controlled Amour, which you can get to through my profile or by sorting the communities page by create date. Thanks, and Pokefan87 signing out.**


	37. Day Three Blockbusters!

Chapter 38 – Day Three Blockbusters!

 **[A/N] The second longest chapter in the fic, actually posted on time? Whoever would have thought such a thing to be possible?**

 **Here's the big news: CHAPTER 25 (ERIN V DIANTHA) has been COMPLETELY REVISED. Now, Druddigon beats Amourus, Talonflame slaughters Deerling, Ralts takes down Talonflame, and Gardevoir beats Druddigon and Deerling. Diantha's attitude also is now in character (Calmer, less reactive.) The volume of negative feedback against that battle was just too much to not go back and change it, so now hopefully it's better.**

 **Clemont's Perspective – Summer Camp**

The whistle pierced his ears as Clemont desperately tried to keep up with Ash and Serena. The two were sprinting ahead at full speed, and he was barely able to keep up behind them.

"Don't look at me like that, Froaky! You wanted this!" Ash yelled as he sped up even more, Froaky barely keeping pace at his side. Pikachu was using quick attack to keep up without much effort, while Fletchinder and Hawlucha glided together overhead.

 _"_ _Double time, princess! You wouldn't want your little prince to get too far ahead, would you?"_

Serena stumbled slightly before getting her balance back and screaming, "Rotom, just go die, will you?"

Clemont shook his head at his legs burned. Digging into the sand, he tried to catch up with his friends assisted by his Pokemon and Fennekin. Bunnelby buried under him and solidified the ground as Chespin used his vine whips to push him forwards. Fennekin, just as slow as he was, struggled to stay at his side.

Finally, he couldn't keep going and sank to his knees. He stared as Ash, Serena, and Froaky raced down the beach as if they were trying to win a hundred meter dash. His Pokemon stopped and stared as well as he groaned, "I can't keep up! What on earth has gotten into them this morning?"

 **Team Rocket's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Thanks very much!" the last camper said as he took his plate and went to sit at one of the long tables the crossed the main hall.

Jessie beamed with sparkles in her eyes as she looked over the hall. "Ooh, all of these wonderful kids just adore my amazing cooking!"

Meowth looked up at her skeptically. "Yer cooking? All you did was set out the pans and read the recipe!"

He yowled as Jessie picked him up by the scruff of his neck and held up her fist. "Say that again, you mangy cat," she snarled.

"It's no matter," James said with a shrug. "After all, with this much good cooking, we've just gotta be rolling in cash!"

Jessie sighed dreamily. "I'll finally have a mansion, and a butler, and lots of nice clothes..."

Meowth nodded. "And da boss with finally choose ta be with me over dat evil Persian..."

"And I'll finally get back to my bottle cap collection," James said. "There are so many rare Kalosian ones that I've-"

The purple haired Rocket slugged him in the back of the head, sending him face first into the table. "Oh, just shut up, won't you? We all know the fame will be mine and mine alone, world class chef Jessalie!" She launched into a manic laugh, and gave Meowth a death stare as he opened his mouth.

"Wobbuffet!"

"Oh che-efs!" a singsong voice came from behind them.

The trio spun around and jumped to attention as Madame Katherine grinned at them. "Yes, ma'am!"

She held up three matching envelopes. "All of these kids just love your cooking. It's raise time!"

Eyes as wide as dollar coins, the rockets all grabbed their checks and exclaimed, "More cash!"

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Erin snorted softly to herself as she watched Team Rocket go absolutely crazy over a bunch of checks. _They're so ridiculous. I have half a mind to go get rid of them, but they do cook good food…_

"What's so funny?" Paul whispered into her ear.

Their entire group, sans Bonnie, was sitting at a big table in the center of the hall eating breakfast. Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna were eating at the table directly behind where Erin was sitting. "It's Team Rocket, obviously."

Paul tensed up and leaned further in nervously. "Team Rocket? Where? What are they planning?"

Erin laughed and shook her head. "Have you honestly not noticed? They're posing as chefs in the kitchen. Their disguises are really awful."

Paul glanced over, then shook his head. "I'm an idiot. How did I not notice that before? Either way, what should we do?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. Paul shot her a questioning look. "Honestly. It's not even worth the effort. They cook pretty well, and they have a really harebrained scheme plotted for the last day. Besides, I want to let Deerling handle them when the time comes." Her last sentence carried a note of pride in her voice.

"How do you know all of that?" Paul asked, and she shot him a look. A flash of recognition turned to a conflicted confusion, and he silently turned away.

She didn't really know how she felt about using her prior knowledge like that. She had consistently dealt with the Rockets before they had reached Cyllage City ahead of time, but since then, their journey hadn't really drawn many parallels to the anime she only now barely remembered. _I've been here for so long that this just feels normal. It's too easy to forget that I don't really belong here. Maybe I should have just told him that I had guessed their plans._

 _He gave you his trust,_ a smaller voice whispered. _He deserves to know._

Her thoughts were interrupted as Professor Sycamore walked up to the microphone and tapped on it experimentally. "Excuse me, can everyone hear me?"

A resounding chorus came from the cafeteria, and he grinned as he waved at the screen. A chart came up with the relative point values of each of the teams. It read:

TEAM SQUIRTLE – 10 POINTS

TEAM DIALGA – 7 POINTS

TEAM FROAKY – 3 POINTS

"These are how all of the point totals stand from yesterday's exciting fishing competition!" Sycamore exclaimed. "All the teams really **casted** out yesterday-" Groans rose from the assembled listeners. "Between the top two teams, there was some **reel** competition out there." More groans joined the chorus. "It took some serious de- **bait** -ing to determine the victors." The boos overwhelmed his voice, and he held up his hands. "In all seriousness, you all did simply marvelous with your fishing! Team Dialga's Lumineon was especially gorgeous, but we felt that we had to give the big prize to Team Squirtle's Wailord!"

Erin sighed. "That Lumineon only came because your Clauncher promised it food, right?"

Paul shrugged noncommittally. "It's not like I was going to sit around all day with a rod just to get a Magikarp, was I?"

"True."

Sycamore turned the screen back off again, and looked over the crowd. "Today's competition is sure to be just as marvelous, because every team is going to be making their own Pokevision video! Once you're finished eating, we have all of the equipment that you could possibly need in the front hall. Get to it!"

The hall filled with excited conversation as people started to get up and leave the room. Erin suddenly had a bitter taste in her mouth at seeing her name under the list of Team Dialga campers, and got to her feet as she pulled on Paul's sleeve. "Hey, let's get out of here. I have a couple ideas for things we could do."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

She beamed at him. "You'll see!"

"Erin." She turned to see Serena standing behind her with a dark expression on her face.

"What's up?" Erin asked cautiously.

Serena narrowed her eyes, and Erin took a step back as she pointed her bad arm at her. "You screwed up my Pokevision video the last time we made one. This time, you're going down."

Concern was quickly overtaken by Erin's desire to win. She reached out and shook Serena's arm. "Deal. Don't think that I'm going to let you off easy because I feel sorry for you, either."

Serena glared back at her and jerked away. "Like that would happen, _Yvonne._ "

Erin frowned as Serena stalked past Ash and started talking to Clemont. _What on earth has gotten into her today?_ She didn't have much time to ponder it before a slender hand landed on her shoulder.

Shauna grinned as Erin turned around. "Erin, you look absolutely amazing today! Your hoodie just looks great!"

Erin looked over at Paul for a second before blushing and hiding her face in her hair, brushed over her left shoulder. "Thanks, I'm a little embarrassed."

"She's not wrong," Paul murmured, just loud enough for her to hear, and her blush deepened.

Tierno went into a cute-induced stupor as Trevor stepped in front of Shauna. "Hey, we all want to know whether you're ever going to make another song. Wouldn't that make the best Pokevision video ever?"

Erin shrugged slightly. "I don't really know yet, honestly. I'll definitely keep it in mind."

Shauna nodded. "That would be amazing! Just don't forget that we're still competing! Team Squirtle will have the best video, I just know it!"

"Good luck!" Trevor called with a wave as he and Shauna dragged Tierno away towards the entrance.

"See ya!" Erin called after them with a wave, before turning back to Paul. "Come on, let's go make a Pokevision video!"

 **Mairin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Mairin sighed as she dragged the heavy recording equipment behind her. "Come on, do we really have to make a video?"

Elle looked at her questioningly. "I thought you said you were excited for this yesterday?"

"So? Now I'm not." The equipment was all loaded into a wagon which she was pulling behind her. She tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her face, and the handle slipped from her hands. She hit the ground hard as Elle caught the handle before helping her up.

"Are you okay?"

Mairin shrugged, suddenly realizing that they were surrounded by forest on all sides. "Hey, I have an idea! Staying on the path is too boring, so let's go and explore!"

Elle shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why not." Kneeling down, she tied the wagon to a nearby tree using a bit of rope that she had stashed in the bottom as they walked off into the woods.

Light filtered down to the forest floor as Mairin picked her way through the dense underbrush. She felt at peace, but the tug of sadness from Alain's absence was ever present. _We met in a forest just like this one. I remember, he was facing that trainer_ _named Astrid with her cool Mega Absol._ _That was totally awesome!_

A loud caw came from overhead, and a Murkrow swooped down from above and grabbed Mairin's green hat off of her head. It hovered over her and cackled for a moment before soaring off into the forest.

"Hey!" Mairin yelled, "Give me my hat back!"

"Come back here!"

The duo took off after the crow, running through the forest in an effort to keep up. They reached a wide clearing, and the crow dropped the hat to dive down towards a large log.

Elle frowned as Mairin picked up her hat and pulled it back over her hair. "That's weird. Why would it take the hat then give it back?"

Mairin gasped as she noticed a tiny brown Kricketot cowering underneath the log. Murkrow, clearly intent on eating the bug type, was trying to stick its head underneath to get it. "Hey! Get away from him!" she yelled as she ran forwards, waving her arms to try and scare it away.

The darkness Pokemon cawed as it suddenly turned as flew towards Mairin with a wing attack. She yelped and dodged to the side, and the bird flew up into the air, angling to come down for another pass.

"Go, Swirlix!" Elle shouted, and the fluffy fairy type appeared in the center of the clearing. She turned to look at Mairin and asked, "Are you okay?"

Mairin nodded, and she grabbed her own Pokeball nervously. "Uh, Bebe, you too!"

"Draining kiss!" Elle commanded as she twirled around. Mairin watched in slight awe. _Wow, she's just like Alain in battle! She's totally cool, but also really cute._

Murkrow dodged the attack and shot straight towards Flabebe. Mairin's eyes widened. _Wait, I don't know what to do!"_

"Quick, use cotton guard!" Swirlix jumped in front of the tiny fairy type as balls of cotton swirled around her body. The attack intercepted the force of the attack but still knocked Swirlix back into Flabebe, sending both into Mairin's arms.

She let the two Pokemon go, and both jumped back out in front of her to keep on fighting. Elle stepped forwards and swept her arm out to stop Mairin from stepping forwards. "Just stay back. I can handle this. Swirlix, spin and use fairy wind to blow the cotton onto Murkrow."

Murkrow came in for a third run with an assurance attack, but was blown back as a spiraling gust of glittering wind sent a ball of sticky cotton onto its wing. The bird plummeted to the ground, knocked out. Elle finished twirling with her Pokemon, before taking a bow. "Tada! We're safe now!"

Mairin's eyes sparkled as she embraced Elle, Bebe coming to land on her shoulder. "You're so amazing, Elle! You battle like you're performing!"

Something in Elle's expression faded, and she shrugged. "Nah, it was nothing. Come on, don't you wanna go save that Kricketot?"

She pondered what she could have said for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah." Walking over to the log, she bent down and held out her hand for the tiny bug. "Hey, you can come out now! See, you're safe."

The bug type cocked its head, then chirped and hopped onto her hand. Humming softly, it rubbed against her warm skin and looked up at her inquisitively.

Mairin looked down at the small Pokemon thoughtfully before getting an idea. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pokeball, which she held out for it to see. "Hey, do you want to come with me? You and me and Chespie and Bebe can be really good friends!"

Kricketot nodded brightly, and gently poked the button on the ball and was sucked inside. The ball shook twice, then dinged to signify the successful capture.

"Alright! I got my third Pokemon!" Mairin exclaimed happily. She pressed the ball against her cheek, and it rocked in recognition.

Elle walked up behind her and the older girl put her hand on Mairin's shoulder. "Hey, do you want to go back towards out stuff and eat lunch now? I think we've done plenty of exploring?"

"Okay!"

They had just made it back to their wagon when a voice rang out behind them. "Oh, hey Elle! Do you guys want to eat lunch with us?"

 **Sawyer's Perspective – Shalour City**

"Alright Treeko and Honedge, are you ready to go over this one last time?"

The green haired boy smoothed out the page of his dog eared notebook for the fourth time that day. On it, an intricate battle diagram was outlined and detailed notes on strategy were labeled. "So, first Treeko will go out against either her Meinfoo or her Machoke. Korrina doesn't have anything on her Machoke that can do serious damage to us, but Meinfoo probably will have acrobatics."

Sawyer flipped the page and pointed to a diagram that he had constructed. "Since acrobatics needs to be used from the air, Treeko, you need to keep your distance from Mienfoo as much as possible. If she gets him above us, then the battle is over. We can use razor leaf to attack from a distance. When she uses acrobatics, then we'll use quick attack to get behind her. Since she'll be in midair, Meinfoo won't be able to turn back for another physical attack. The only thing she might have is focus blast, which we can dodge. After that, razor leaf will probably finish Meinfoo easily."

Treeko frowned and pointed to an arrow on the diagram questioningly. "Tree?"

Sawyer frowned. "Yeah, I'm not so sure about that either. My main thought there was that if she pulls out something unexpected, you should take a sharp turn out with quick attack to avoid the blow. Either way, the second you go down, Honedge will shadow sneak onto the field and use aerial ace. If you get in on Meinfoo or Lucario, swords dance first instead."

Sawyer turned to the final page of his battle plan and sighed. "Now, her Lucario is the really dangerous one. Treeko, you have nothing that you can use against her, because all of your attacks are just half effective against a fighting steel type. Honedge, a bone rush will probably instantly knock you out, so we need to be really careful. Really, the only thing that we can do against her is to shadow sneak, aerial ace, and repeat. Under no circumstances should you let her get near to you for longer than a split second. Whenever we have an opening, use swords dance to give us a better chance. You guys got it?"

After the two cries of affirmation from his Pokemon, Sawyer returned both of his Pokemon and turned to look at the gorgeous ocean vista from the balcony he was sitting on. The midday sun rose high above the fabled Tower of Mastery as he closed his note book. As he picked it up to put it into his shirt pocket, a signed photo with the Hoenn champion Steven Stone slipped onto the old cobblestones. He smiled as he slipped it back into the book and rose to his feet.

Waiting in line to get a ticket for the funicular to the beach, he thought back to his journey to that point. He had started three months ago back in Kiloude City, where he had received the Flame Badge from the gym there. A quick train ride to Lumiose and a short walk to Santalune had given him the Bug Badge, and a long journey northwest had brought him to Coumarine city for his Plant Badge. Now, he was ready to challenge Korrina and to win her Rumble Badge with his two Pokemon. _With my strategy, there's no way that I could loose!_

The narrow sandbar stretched out in front of him as he confidently strode down the length of the beach. Rippling water lapped at the empty Clamperl shells scattered around his feet as he reached the paved interior of the small inlet that held the spiraling tower. Walking up to the door, he yanked on the door handle, only to discover that it was locked.

Frowning, he knocked sharply on the door and yelled, "Hello? I'm here to challenge the Shalour City gym!"

"I believe that you would be looking for me."

Sawyer spun around as a girl skated up to him from behind. His eyes widened and he took a step backwards as he saw her appearance. Her eyes smouldered with an intense blue, and her long golden hair, which poked through a blue and black skating helmet had a black streak splitting it straight down the middle. Her clothing matched her helmet, and an intimidating Lucario strode up behind her. He gulped, and held out his hand. "Hi, my name's Sawyer. Are you Korrina?"

Her face seemed to be intensely conflicted for a moment, before she broke out in what seemed to be a forced grin. "Yup, that's me! I bet you're wondering why the door is locked and the windows are boarded up."

"Actu-"

"It's because I haven't been here in two months!" Korrina exclaimed slightly too happily. Sawyer raised his eyebrows as she stared the door up and down before striding up to it. "Of course I lost my keys too. Did you know that Grandpa gave me my first keys to this dump? Probably wasn't such a good idea to lose them, don'tcha think, Lucario?" Her voice rose higher and higher before cracking on her last sentence.

"Are you okay?" Sawyer asked cautiously as he took a hesitant step away from Korrina.

"Why do you ask? I'm just wonderful!" she exclaimed with a giggle. She turned back to the door, and her mood flipped on a dime. "I never did like this door anyways," she growled.

Sawyer's jaw dropped as her leg glowed bright blue as a hazy aura materialized around it. Spinning around violently, the gym leader knocked the massive stone doors off their hinges. A second kick sent the left tumbling inwards, and she stepped across the threshold and into the darkened tower. "So? Are you coming?" she called back over her shoulder.

He had half a mind to refuse, but a threatening look from Lucario quenched any thought he might have had of arguing against the psychotic gym leader. _This is a mistake, but I'm not going to let all of our hard preparation go to waste._ Taking a moment to rediscover his confidence, he nodded more to himself than anyone else and took his next step forwards.

The lights inside the tower blinked on, and Sawyer's fears were washed away in an overwhelming wave of awe. A towering stone statue of a Mega Lucario overshadowed him to such a degree that he felt as if it would step off its pedistal and crush him. Intricately detailed frescoes wound their way around the walls, intersecting stained glass mosaics and gilded tapestries. Billowing black drapes hung from the amber railings of the spiraling walkway, giving the austere spire a somber touch. Korrina's skates clattered against the worn stone floors, smoothed down after centuries of use.

They ascended, Sawyer forcing himself to take longer strides to keep up with the gym leader. Her blond and black hair billowed out behind her as she forced her skates to take her higher and higher, slipping as the wheels tried to spin the other way before catching herself and pushing them harder. Lucario, a shadow of his ancestor beside him, prowled along silently behind them.

Sawyer gasped again as they emerged onto the balcony, a massively wide stone platform jutting out into midair, and Kalos unfurled before him. "This is incredible! Thank you so very much for showing me this!"

Korrina, however, only had eyes for the stone coffin that was sitting at the edge, surrounded by flowers. "There, you've seen the main attraction. Let's get this over with," she growled, turning on her heels and racing back into the tower.

"Korrina, wait!" Sawyer yelled as he chased after her, only to catch his breath as the gym leader leaped into the air, feet glowing blue. She soared above the Lucario statue and came down on the opposite bannister hard with her skates, sending sparks flying as she grinded the edge of the stairs perilously close to falling. Two stories down, she jumped again and caught Lucario's arm before wildly spinning around it and flying down towards the ground. She landed with a tight spin move, then looked up with a frown. "What are you still doing up there? I thought that we were going to battle."

"I-" began, then frowned. "I'm coming!"

The darkened gym sprang to life as Korrina and Sawyer walked onto the hardened battlefield. She skated over to the opposite block and settled into a ready position. "Well, shall we start?"

Sawyer stepped up to his side in confusion. "Uh, aren't we going to have a referee? I thought that was league regulation."

Korrina shrugged. "Don't have one anymore. How many Pokemon do you have?"

"Two, but-"

"Meinfoo, let's go!" the gym leader yelled as she sent a pokeball soaring into the air. In a flash, a small bipedal red and beige Pokemon appeared with a wild cry.

 _Perfect! Who cares about any of the weirdness? With my strategy, there's no way that I can lose._ Settling into his battle mindset, he lobbed his own ball onto the field, revealing Treeko. "Alright, whenever you're ready."

 **Korrina v Sawyer**

"Mienfoo, fake out!"

Before Sawyer could blink, Mienfoo had shot across the field and slammed into Treeko, sending his Pokemon flying backwards before he could react. _Damn! I knew that I should always call protect first._ Hastily, he pulled out his notebook and scribbled down a hasty note before looking back at the battle.

"Treeko, strafe razor leaf with quick attack!" Sawyer commanded. Treeko nodded, then shot away from Mienfoo. Slightly altering his trajectory, the wood gecko Pokemon circled the fighting type, periodically shooting bursts of razor leaves at it. It dodged the first several before getting knocked upwards as the sharp leaves cut through its dense fur.

Korrina visibly seemed to be getting angrier, and she pointed at Treeko. "Counter razor leaf with swift, then hit that thing with acrobatics, now!" A cloud of stars burst in smoke as Mienfoo shot through, surrounded by a burst of light blue energy.

"Our strategy, now!" Treeko changed directions in an instant, shooting forwards at a wild angle directly under the fighting type and blasting it upwards with razor leaf.

Korrina's eyes flashed and she bared her lip. "That won't work. Mienfoo, control the air with swift, then use high jump kick."

Sawyer's eyes widened as the attack was countered and Mienfoo stopped his forwards momentum by blasting the ground with swift. Treeko was barely aware as Mienfoo careened towards his fleeing form at top speed. "Protect, now!"

The high powered fighting attack smashed into the rainbow barrier. Treeko, unable to stop his momentum before throwing up the hasty defense, rolled forewards as the ephmeral barrier pitched with him. Mienfoo broke its attack and slowly prowled around the barrier in a circle as Treeko regained its footing.

Sawyer gritted his teeth as he stared at his Pokemon, who already looked fairly tired. _I'm loosing control of this battle! What am I supposed to do? My strategy clearly isn't going to work, so maybe we need to take another approach._

He never got a chance to think it through, however, as Korrina grinned viciously and called, "Swords dance!"

Sawyer's eyes widened. "Screw that! Quick, use quick attack and charge razor leaf to get in close then pound! If she calls a flying type move, protect!"

Mienfoo's half completed dance was broken as leaves slammed into its side followed by an angry Treeko. The martial arts Pokemon rolled across the battlefield as he unleashed an angry onslaught of pound attacks.

"Knock off then low sweep!" the blond and black haired girl called. Mienfoo tensed, then right as Treeko was in between attacks, its feet melded into a dark aura and it slammed him away into the ground. Seconds later, it dashed over and swept its foot into his side, sending him flying. "Now finish this with acrobatics!"

"Protect!"

Mienfoo collided with the rainbow barrier once again, and the two Pokemon slid back down to the ground. Treeko looked worse for wear, and the other wasn't that much better. Sawyer frowned as Korrina gave him another disconcertingly nice smile. "Looks like you're in a bit of a bind, now aren't you. How are you going to respond, _challenger?_ "

Sawyer held up his Pokeball and pointed it at the battlefield. "Treeko, return!" he yelled with a nod.

Korrina smirked victoriously. "It looks like you've just concede-"

Honedge burst from a deep pool of shadows behind Mienfoo and viciously raked its sword down the fighting type's side, then back up again. It flew backwards towards Korrina's feet, landing in a decisive knock out. The ghostly sword hummed before floating over to Sawyer's side and taking a fighting stance. He nodded to his Pokemon before looking up at Korrina. "We haven't conceded anything yet! We're pumped up and ready to go."

With a visceral snarl, Lucario stepped onto the battlefield and assumed a fighting pose. Sawyer's brow furrowed in confusion. _Wait, but Korrina didn't give him any commands? Although… I didn't tell Honedge anything either, so I guess that it's only fair._

"Honedge, we'll go shadow sneak then aerial ace then," he ordered, and his Pokemon vanished.

Lucario closed his eyes and began to glow with a light blue aura. Sawyer gasped in shock as the same aura appeared around Korrina. Honedge appeared and quickly struck Lucario's flank before vanishing again. The aura Pokemon violently lashed out with a bone rush at the place where the sword Pokemon had been, just a split second too slow. Sawyer filed the knowledge away victoriously. _We can win this now! She can't touch Honedge!_

Korrina simply stood on her side of the battlefield, aura gradually flaring up brighter and brighter as the two Pokemon darted around the field. Lucario was taking damage, but it barely seemed to be making a difference as he wildly attacked at his own pace. Honedge scored a particularly brutal hit and reappeared next to Sawyer as Lucario stumbled backward. "What are you doing, Korrina? Can't you control Lucario?" he shouted across the battle field.

Korrina and Lucario both stopped dead and stared at Sawyer. He gulped and inadvertently took a step backwards as he saw the murderous aura blazing in their eyes. _Did I say something wrong?_

"I-" Her voice was faint at first, as if she was trying to recall a line. When she found it, she snapped into venomous clarity. "I don't use Lucario as a tool. I mean, I won't use him. No! I can't. I can't. I..." Her eyes widened as she stared at the ground and massaged her temples.

"Korrina, are you sure tha-"

"This tower is bullshit!" she screamed, stopping him midsentence.

He was silent, either out of awe or fear of watching someone come apart at the seams.

"Grandpa… He was blinded! He thought that Mastery was the goal. He told me I had to master Lucario, and it killed him! He's fucking dead!" Korrina's aura blared even higher, turning the vast gym blue as her voice cracked.

"Korrina..." Sawyer murmured as he took another step backwards, Honedge coming in front of him protectively.

"And you know who's fault it is?" the gym leader screamed. "Erin Yvonne! She- she left him on that mountain to die! She tried to force me to master Lucario! She knew Grandpa was going to be there, and she let him die! She let him! She has to pay! I won't let her do it to me again! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL ERIN YVONNE!"

Korrina's anguished screams turned into a wordless outpouring of agony as she and Lucario simultaneously began to glow bright blue and change appearance. Sawyer, who up to that point had been stunned speechless, gulped as he began to slowly back away to the door of the gym. Lucario slowly shifted into the Mega Evolved form that he had seen depicted in the massive statue, and he realized that he had no chance of winning his gym battle. What truly scared him was Korrina, whose clothing and form was slowly shifting to mirror Lucario. Her black and white hair billowed out behind her wildly in the aura storm that engulfed the room, and Sawyer had to grab a hold of Honedge to stop his Pokemon from being blown away.

The aura rushed in to form an intense halo around trainer and Pokemon as Korrina stepped onto the battlefield. "Where do you think you're going?" she snarled. Her roller skates had melded with her feet to form a spiked ridge, and as she slammed her left foot against the battlefield, a lattice of cracks spread outwards into the hardened dirt. "Our battle was only getting started."

Sawyer stared wildly at the slowly advancing trainer and Pokemon, and made the only logical decision he possibly could. Hastily, he recalled Honedge, screamed louder than he had in his entire life, and ran.

Behind him, he could hear Korrina howling in rage as he dashed up the fight of stairs from the basement. The double doors crashed down behind him as trainer and Pokemon alike burst through. He ducked as an aura sphere crashed into the wall above his head, sending dust and chunks of stone downwards as he burst out into the main chamber of the tower.

"COME BACK!" Korrina screamed as he burst out of the tower. Entirely winded but terrified for his life, Sawyer ran the entire length of the sandbar before collapsing, exhausted, on the main beach. Tourists looked from him to the tower in confusion as he let himself look back to see Korrina fall to her knees.

The door to the Tower of Mastery fell beneath her knees, she was alone, and she was lost, and he was gone. Their eyes met, even though it was to far to see where her eyes truly laid, but they met nevertheless. Hers was a desperate plea.

 _Please come back._

His fear won over, and he shook his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he scrambled to his feet disappeared into the city above.

Korrina was left alone on the island as the rising tide washed the sandbar away, foam to blue to murky depths below.

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Erin grinned as she smoothed over her finished sheet. She turned to Paul and their assembled Pokemon. "Alright, so here's what we're going to do..."

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Hey, Serena, are you sure that this place isn't good enough? We're really far away from camp by now," Clemont groaned as he stopped to lean against a tree.

She nodded, a little bit uncertain of herself. "Yeah, this just doesn't feel right yet."

Rotom groaned as it spun around her head. _"_ _Please, princess. I've had this stupid map on my display for an hour and a half. Take some pity on these creaking circuits."_

Serena shot the Pokedex a look, and it gave and electronic gulp and hovered back in front of her and shut up. "I don't know. All of these marked clearings on the map have had way too much undergrowth. Can we keep moving?"

Clemont nodded, and he walked over to a nearby log and grabbed Bonnie's hand, who vacantly stood up and followed after him. Serena started as Ash brushed by her shoulder, staring ahead with a dark expression and not acknowledging her. She watched his back sadly as Pikachu frowned back at her in confusion. Forcing herself to start moving again, she looked back down at the map. "Alright, the next one will probably be right down this path. Let's go." She had meant to inject enthusiasm into the last remarks, but they came across as flat and disinterested.

Ash stalked along in front of them as Clemont caught up to her. "Okay, I don't like this at all," he whispered. "I'm not just going to watch my two best friends do this. What on earth is going on between you and Ash?"

"We..." _We're nothing. Is it even possible for us to be something anymore?_ She shook her head, and answered her own question. "I really don't know."

Clemont's eyes flashed, and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Oh, come on. Don't give me that. If you don't tell me yourself, I'll just say what I think." She shook her head, and he frowned. "I think that you and Ash both like each other."

"Eep!" Serena squealed as she threw her hand over Clemont's mouth and threw them both onto the ground. Clemont had the sense to let go of Bonnie's hand before he tumbled down underneath her. "How do you know?"

The Lumiose gym leader let out a muffled grunt, and she realized that she was essentially lying on top of him. She shot Ash a quick look, who hadn't turned back, and rolled off of him. "What was that for?"

"You know?" she whispered again softly.

Clemont rolled his eyes. "Well, isn't it kinda obvious? I've known that you liked Ash since the Cyllage Gym, right when you ran off after him. And he's liked you for just about as long, since that night after he caught Hawlucha and you caught Zorua. When you reunited at the Tournament Extraordinaire just made it all clearer. Do you want to tell me what's going on between you two now?"

"We should walk," Serena said, her head spinning wildly. _Clemont knows too!_

He nodded uncertainly, but before he could begin to speak again, a yell came from up ahead. She drew in a sharp breath as she saw the deep ravine in front of them, and ran up to its edge. "Ash, are you okay?"

The raven haired boy groaned as he pulled himself into a sitting position twenty feet below them. "Yeah, I think so. My ankle really hurts." Pikachu jumped up onto his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek concernedly, and he smiled slightly as he stroked his Pokemon's back. "Hey buddy, you fell down here with me to?"

"Ash, don't worry! We'll send for Professor Sycamore to come and help you out. Just hold tight, okay?" Clemont yelled, then turned to start running back towards the camp.

He paused as Serena put her hand on his shoulder. "Wait, I still want to talk to you alone," she said low enough so Ash couldn't hear her. "Rotom?"

 _"_ _Are you finally done with using me as a map?"_ the plasma Pokemon asked hopefully.

Serena nodded. "Go find Professor Sycamore and tell him that Ash is hurt, please, then show him how to get back here."

 _"_ _Your desire is my command, princess."_

"You know what?" Serena said with faux sweetness, "I think I'll even help you get there." Wheeling around, she launched the ghost type over the trees in the direction of the main hall.

Clemont sweatdropped. "Sometimes I wonder why Rotom wanted to be caught by you in the first place."

Below, the sounds of a mock battle began to echo through the ravine. Serena gingerly set herself down at the trunk of a nearby tree and sighed as Clemont gently put Bonnie down, who had fallen asleep, and settled next to her. "So what did you want to know?"

"Well, Ash is my role model and the person who I strive to beat," Clemont said thoughtfully. "I'll always look up to him, but you're my best friend, Serena. I don't want either of you to get hurt, least of all by each other. Can you please tell me what's going on?"

"How much do you want to know?" she asked softly.

Clemont shrugged. "I just want to help you two, so however much makes you feel better."

Serena smiled lightly, slightly startled by how open he was to talk to her. "In that case, do you mind if I tell you everything?"

He nodded. "I'm listening."

Serena took a deep breath, before having an idea and releasing Fennekin from her pokeball. Comforted as her Pokemon curled up in her lap, she sighed before she started talking. "I think I should tell you first that Erin isn't my sister."

Clemont frowned. "Right, but we all already knew that."

Serena shrugged. "Before that, I had a pretty normal life. I mean, all the other kids in Vainville were long gone by the time I got Fennekin, so I wasn't exactly social, but it wasn't too bad. I practiced my Ryhorn racing a lot, although..." She stared down at her bad arm and sighed. "At least now, Mom can't make me do it anymore, right? Anyways, everything was normal, until Erin just appeared in my room one morning."

Clemont's jaw dropped. "What do you mean, she appeared?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," she said, clenching her teeth. "And not just her. My bedroom suddenly had two beds, our tiny kitchen table was twice the size, and she had stuff that belonged to her all over my house. Worse, my mom even thought that she was my sister."

He shook his head vigorously, then grinned sheepishly as she stopped. "Sorry, this is all just a little hard to wrap my head around. She really just appeared?"

"Yeah, but that's not even the weirdest part. It was almost as if… she knew me, somehow. I mean, she knew that she wasn't supposed to be there too, but..." She paused, then sighed. "We were watching the news when Ash jumped off of Prism Tower. I remembered him from Professor Oak's summer camp from back when we were little kids, and I decided that I needed to see him again. Erin decided to tag along for the ride."

"And that was when you met us?"

Serena shook her head. "Actually, no. She was really weird at first. Like, she acted like she had never seen a Miltank before. I asked her where she came from, and she said Pallet Town, which I know was a lie. I made her promise me that she would tell me where she was actually from, which she still hasn't fulfilled."

Clemont looked fairly shocked as he brushed a loose strand of hair out of Bonnie's face. "Serena, I honestly had no idea about any of this. I haven't really talked to Erin since before Cyllage City. Come to think of it, she only ever really talks to you and Paul."

"Then our bus to Lumiose was attacked."

"WHAT?"

The attacking noises stopped from the ravine, and Ash called up, "Hey, are you guys good up there?"

"Yeah, we're fine!" Serena yelled back before putting her index finger across her lips. "Yeah, a Pokemon sent a hyper beam straight through the bus. We were really lucky to be sitting in the back, because we got out safely. We made it through the woods to Lumiose, I got Fennekin, and from there, you know the rest."

"So you had already gone through all of that by the time you met us, huh?" The young inventor pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Is there anything else you haven't told us about?"

"Yeah, actually. When Erin jumped after Druddigon into the ravine, I had just made a big deal about how she was trying to steal Ash, or something like that."

"So she knows about your crush too?"

Serena nodded. "We fought basically every day that we traveled together before we split up. It's just… She looks so much like me, and she's annoying and has so many secrets that I know she's keeping from me, and she just pisses me off!" her voice had risen slightly, and she sighed as she deflated and sank down the tree trunk.

"She's a lot like you," Clemont murmured. "If the two of you didn't say otherwise, it would be easy to mistake you as twins."

Serena opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out. "I guess you're right."

She was silent for a while, and Clemont filled the empty space. "So after we left Erin, you got more time to be with Ash alone, and your crush got deeper. He also got one for you in the same time. Then, you were kidnapped, which nearly drove him crazy with worry. Did I miss anything?"

"No. Then TE happened."

"..."

"..."

"Do you want to tell me what happened two nights ago?" Clemont asked softly.

It started slowly, but eventually it all came spilling out. She told him about her failure, about her amputation. She told him about Ash's training and watching him battle Froaky. She told him about the kiss. She told him about the scissors. She told him about their argument the day before. By the end, she was crying.

Clemont awkwardly reached over and gave her a hug. "Serena, I'm so sorry," he whispered. "Why didn't you tell us that you tried to commit suicide? There are things that can help with depression, and you don't have to go without a hand forever..."

She stared at him sadly. "My entire life, I've been crazy about the way that I look. My mom, she thought that clothes were just a utility, and I guess I kinda always thought she was wrong. Ash helped me to realize that there was something more to life than Ryhorn racing and nice hats. I told myself that I was going to be like him. I was going to save lives, Clemont. I tried to stop the TE disaster, but I was useless. We beat J's Salamance, but all I could do was cower in a corner. If it wasn't for Looker and Zorua, who's gone now, we would all be dead anyways."

Clemont hugged her tighter, but there was nothing he could say.

"Erin is the only reason that I'm even alive right now," Serena murmured. "She's been stealing my spotlight ever since we left Vainville town. How am I supposed to be strong when I need her to save me? How am I supposed to be good enough to get Ash's attention when every time I pass someone, they take one look at my hand and look away? When he said that to Froaky, I just snapped. He had been the only thing keeping me going, and all of a sudden, he was backing down on what drove me to like him in the first place."

"I'll talk to her," Clemont said, pulling away.

"What? Why?"

Clemont stared at her. "Serena, you just essentially told me that a girl who is posing as your sister drove you to try and commit suicide! That's not okay. She needs to tell you the truth, whatever that may be."

Serena's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No, wait! You can't do that."

He growled as he briefly pulled away. "Keeping this in won't help you! Serena, I can't let you stay in this depression. Yes, the TE Disaster hit you harder than anyone else, but that just means you need to open up about it."

"But I don't want to make her think that I'm more vulnerable than she already does!" Serena exclaimed. "I'm sick of her treating me like a little Bidoof who lost its nest. I want to show her how strong I can be!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you want to know where she came from, does it?"

She slowly nodded in agreement. "I guess so."

"You know what the best way to show everyone that you really are strong is?"

"What?"

Clemont smiled as Rotom, Professor Sycamore, and a team of rescuers burst through the woods. "Let's make an amazing Pokevision video first, and then we get into the Hall of Fame. When our names are on that wall, that's the first step, isn't it?"

Serena finally managed a smile and nodded. _The first step. From there, who knows where we might go?_

 **[A/N] Who knew that Professor Sycamore could be so punny?**

 **A big focus here is on Serena and Clemont and their relationship. I feel like it's never fully explored in the show, so I really want to flesh it out more here.**

 **Korrina is in a pretty sharp downwards spiral right now. Grief and aura do not mix particularly well, even without Korrina's emotional instability.**

 **I love Team Rocket in moderation. It's nice to write a bit of comic relief every once in a while.**

 **Anyone who's read Generation II, a story I started and stopped a while ago, will recognize the Kricketot Mairin just caught. I just think those two make such a good match, and I honestly don't know why.**

 **Also, Sawyer! Fun fact: he never got Grant, Korrina, or Clemont's badges in the anime, but got some unidentified ones instead. That's not going to change here.**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Fanatic – Thank you!**_

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – It's coming, I promise you. It will happen in part two, but the plot needs its time to progress properly. All in due time.**_

 **Amourshippers, remember to check out my community, Quality Controlled Amour, by clicking through to my profile or searching in communities. Everyone else, remember that I appreciate any and all feedback you can give! Thanks, and Pokefan87, signing out.**


	38. The Legendary Postulate

Chapter 38 – The Legendary Postulate

 **Diantha's Perspective – Kalos Pokemon League**

"Diantha."

The Champion of the Kalos League sighed as she turned to face the striking figure illuminated by the doorway. "Come in. I have been expecting you."

Lysandre frowned as he ducked under the threshold and turned on the lights. "My, this is very unlike you. I have always known you as a lover of beauty, living in this simply luminous fortress of yours."

She turned away from him and frowned as Gardevoir teleported by her side. "I see that you've been admiring our stained glass, haven't you."

The fiery man laughed, a deep booming sound that seemed to echo through the room. "And why wouldn't I? Certainly you too must appreciate one of Kalos' crowning jewels, even if fewer people come here these days than some."

Finally, she let a wry smile grace her lips. "Those days had champions who were less successful than I am."

"Indeed. And now your rule comes under attack for just the fourth time in the last five years."

The silence stretched on before Diantha heaved a sigh, leaning back on the wings of her dress. "What do you want, Lysandre?"

"Diantha, tell me. Do you fear getting older?"

Gardevoir stirred slightly at Diantha's side, and the champion glowed inwardly as she felt her Pokemon comfort her across their mental bond. "I don't believe that you've properly answered my question."

Lysandre's Holocaster buzzed slightly, and he glanced down at it before responding. "And you haven't answered mine.

She gave him a long hard stare. "I have no reason why I should fear aging. Why do you ask?"

"You are an actress," he said as he closed his eyes. "Kalos' idol, their superstar. The best battler in the region to boot. Do you ever want that to change?"

For a moment, Diantha's eyes flashed, but she composed herself and assumed her calm veneer. "I wouldn't want to play all of the same roles forever, would I? I look forwards to both ones that I play now, and the ones that I'll get to play later in life."

"What makes you think that you'll get that chance?"

Diantha's hand crept down to her pokeballs as she pursed her lips. "Lysandre, I don't believe that we're friends anymore, are we?"

Lysandre hummed in acknowledgment. "You aren't the idealistic young girl that I used to know, either."

"I know you have no love for the Syndicate." Diantha rose to her feet and walked to the window. Drawing the drapes, she gazed out across the great forest and plains that spread between the league and Lumiose City. "What is your involvement with Malva and her challenge? What is your intention for Kalos?"

"Zekrom," Lysandre hissed. "You saw what happened there. We now have the ability to capture legendaries that interfere with the beauty of our world!"

Diantha sighed, catching her own reflection in the golden reflection of the man behind her. "There are forces in this world, forces that are beyond our control or knowing. Gods walk our world as they will. We have constructed a delicate balance between the artificial and the natural, and the lives we lead have people and Pokemon coexisting with one another. Would you seek to upset that natural balance?"

Lysandre walked over to her desk. Carefully, he unstrapped his Holocaster from his wrist and set it down on the table before pushing a button on its side. Diantha turned to see a Cartesian map of the Pokemon world set out in front of her. She frowned as she saw the date in the bottom corner. "What are you showing me? That date is more than six years old."

Without answering her question, he pressed another button, and the screen began to change. A single black dot blinked to life in the center of Kanto and started to wind its way around the map. As it did so, smaller colored dots began to pop up behind it. Diantha watched neutrally as a rainbow trail was painted across six of the global regions. A small counter in the corner didn't escape her notice either as it slowly counted up until the present was reached.

"Diantha, are you aware of the recent merger between Lysandre Labs and Sylph Co.?"

She nodded. "Of course. As champion, it's my duty to monitor Kalos' economy, no?"

"This is data that I compiled with assistance from Giovanni. That black dot represents a young man named Ash Ketchum. Giovanni has had a team of three agents tracking him since the second day of his Pokemon journey, more than six years ago. He has an… interesting effect on events around him. Each of those dots represents an instance of crime or violence. The blue ones were stopped by him. The red ones were not. The filled dots involved members of an organized crime syndicate, not in reference to the Syndicate we are dealing with in Kalos."

Diantha stared at the map, unsure of what to think. "There are many more blue than red, but why are there so many more red ones in Kalos?" she murmured thoughtfully. "What are the black ones, and why are most of them bigger?"

"The black represents legendary Pokemon. The bigger circles indicate a loss of human life."

Diantha's breath caught as she looked at Kalos. There were nearly twice as many red circles as there were blue, and the entire map was blotted out by three massive black circles. Lysandre pointed to each one in turn. "Geosenge Town. One thousand dead in a massive landslide that destroyed the most prominent mountain next to the town. My team detected the presence of a legendary Pokemon. Lysandre Labs. Fifty seven dead in an explosion and fire that destroyed the west wing. We detected the same legendary traces. TE disaster. 55,000 dead. Zekrom and J's Latios were both present. That's not all. We have as many as six other recorded instances of Legendary activity in Kalos in less than three months, following a drastic overall uptick in the past two years. All of that ties to Ash Ketchum."

Diantha's stomach twisted. "What are you trying to imply?"

"Legendary Pokemon are no longer the protectors of humanity, Diantha. Something has been changing, and the only way to protect humanity is to stop them." He turned the screen off, and put the Holocaster back onto his arm. "We still have the boy under constant surveillance, but that's not enough. Your policies on legendaries are no longer sufficient to protect our country."

"Lysandre, you are beginning to sound dangerous," Diantha said with a deep frown. "99% of the people who live here believe in the Archaic Pantheon. The Kalos League has long venerated Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde as the protectors of Kalos. Do you seek to go against their good will, and anger legendaries further? I am not blind to the patterns that you have presented. Are you aware that we are working with the International Police to monitor legendaries and to defeat the Syndicate?"

Lysandre's tone was smooth as he walked around the desk to stand behind Diantha. "Surely even you can recognize the value of eliminating threats. Capturing legendaries has been quite effective in the past. I'm sure that you will recall a trainer named Tobias, who competed-"

"Tobias is dead. His body was found in Mt. Coronet a month ago," she interrupted grimly. "Our sources inform me that his Pokemon are now under Syndicate possession."

His face twisted from disbelief to rage in an instant. "What? I was not informed of this," he growled, violently typing into his caster. "Such a trainer is not meant to carry such power. This is what we must prevent! The league must eliminate these threats!"

"And if I refuse?" Diantha said coolly.

Lysandre turned away from her. "The events have already been set in motion, Diantha. That was your last chance. You are a threat to the well being of Kalos, and you will lose your position before this week is out. Good day."

The door slammed shut behind him, and she settled back down into darkness, even more deeply troubled than before. _What is happening to Kalos? Why am I unable to stop it?_

 **Elle's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Elle's stomach sank as she turned around and saw Tierno and Trevor standing behind her. _Oh god, I was hoping that we could have avoided this today._ "Hey, guys."

Tierno nodded vigorously. "Yup, you have totally got to come and have lunch with us right now! There's no question about it!"

Before she could protest, Tierno and Trevor had each taken one of her arms and were dragging her off to a nearby clearing where a picnic blanket had been set out on the ground. Elle shot a look back over her shoulder to see Mairin trailing them, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. She sighed as she was dumped unceremoniously on the blanket, and grumbled, "You could at least have let me walk. I do have legs for a reason, you know."

Shauna looked up from where she was sitting and did a double take as Elle stared back at her. "What the hell is she doing here?"

Tierno grinned as strapped an apron over his Vanilite T-shirt and spun around a large soup pot. "Hey, lighten up! Isn't it just such a great day to cook and dance?"

Trevor sweatdropped and laughed before getting more serious. "Elle, Shauna, Tierno and I decided-"

"More like Trevor talked and I listened."

The redhead sighed. "Whatever. Well, I think that even though you two are still angry at each other for what happened back in Lumiose, you still should to be nice to each other."

Shauna sniffed and turned away, and Elle's heart sank slightly. Suppressing a sigh, she turned to Mairin instead. "Hey, do you want to let your Kricketot out of his pokeball?"

Mairin's eyes widened, and she nodded. "Come out, Bebe, Chespie, and Tater!"

Elle raised an eyebrow as the tiny bug type appeared on Mairin's leg. "Tater?"

The younger girl grinned and nodded. "Yeah, because he's brown and a little tubby and that Murkrow thought he would be a good snack."

Kricketot chirped lightly, and Elle put her face in her hands. "I don't think that's a very good nickname for a Pokemon..."

"I do!" Mairin said as Chespie decided to start running around her in circles, with Bebe floating after him.

Elle laughed, and she released her own Pokemon happily to join in. Skitty came out happily, but flinched when she saw Shauna and scampered into Elle's arms. She looked down at her Pokemon sadly as she gently cradled her. _I guess she really hasn't gotten over what happened back at the lab that day._

"IT'S HOTDOG TIME!" Tierno exclaimed at the top of his lungs as he set a plate of steaming hotdogs down on the picnic blanket. "Come and get some!"

Elle and Shauna took one look at each other and burst out laughing as Shauna walked over to sit across from her. Shauna rolled her eyes and mouthed _"Doofus,"_ and Elle smirked back.

Trevor shook his head sadly as he made himself a plate of food. "You know, I've always felt like I miss something in these conversations..."

Shauna and Elle looked at him at the same time and said, "You do."

He frowned again, then brightened up. "Hey, you two are acting normal again! That's great! Are you finally over that dumb fight you had?"

Instantly, the friendliness vanished from Shauna's face, and she turned away with a pout. "It's not my problem," she said as she stuffed her face full with food.

"Alright, that's it!" Trevor got to his feet and clenched his fists. "I hate this! Elle, Shauna, you two are best friends! There's no way this can keep happening. Go over there and make up, right now!"

Elle stared at her friend in shock. _Since when has Trevor been so forceful? I have no memories of him being like this, ever._ "Alright, fine."

As soon as they were alone, Elle slouched and glared at Shauna. "Alright, Trevor's right. This is totally ridiculous. I don't know where you think you get off being a jerk to me like this, but-"

Shauna's face fell for a second, and she could have sworn that she caught a glimpse of her old friend for just a second. Just as quickly, it disappeared. "This is all your fault. If it hadn't been for that night-"

"We agreed that we weren't going to talk about that," she hissed back. _No! I'm past that, there's no way that I'm going to get worked up about that now._

"So what do you want me to do?"

Elle gave her best fake smile and nodded back at the picnic. "We're performers, aren't we? Pretend like everything's all better, even though it isn't. That's what you want, isn't it?" He voice cracked on the last word, and she turned around to rejoin her other, _real_ friends and Pokemon.

 **Flashback – Lumiose City**

 _Sycamore turned to Elle and smiled sadly. "Elle, I'm so sorry, but we seem to be completely out of traditional starter Pokemon. Either you can_ _take one of the extras that we have here in the lab, or you can_ _wait for us to get a new group together..."_

 _She smiled at him. "No, don't worry about. I did volunteer to go last, didn't I?"_

 _Nodding graciously, the professor led her to the enclosed greenhouse where Pokemon were running around wildly._ _Elle immediately zeroed in on a tiny pink cat that was curled up in a little ball in a beam of sunlight. "Professor, can I have that Skitty?"_

 _Sycamore nodded. "A simply marvelous choice! I'm sure that you and Skitty will do just fine together!"_

 _Five minutes later,_ _she walked out of the lab cradling Skitty into her arms._ _Before she could make it very far, however, she was interrupted_ _mid stride. "So, the professor actually decided to give you a Pokemon. How cute."_

 _She span around, all of her emotions from last night coming swirling back as she saw Shauna. "Shauna, I-"_

 _The other girl's face had contempt written all over it. "_ _You're what, sorry for last night? Sorry for ruining our friendship?"_

 _"_ _Shauna, please just listen to me, I didn't-"_

 _"No, I'm not going to!" she cut her off. "The performing stuff, all of that? We're done. There's one Kalos queen, and that's going to be me. You and your fluff ball can go and die for all that I care."_

 _Elle_ _squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. "You know what? Fine! I thought that we were friends, but clearly not." She started walking away before breaking into a run._

 _"Elle, wait! I- I didn't mean-"_

 _"Screw you!" she screamed._

 _Sprinting away, she didn't have time to look back at her former best friend,_ _left standing alone in her wake_ _._

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"And the winning Pokevision video is… Team Froaky's! Congratulations to everyone for participating, and we can't wait for the orienteering competition tomorrow." Sycamore smiled as he turned the big screen off, and people began to file out of the dining hall to go to bed.

Erin sighed as she pushed away from the table. Walking up to Paul, she nudged his shoulder gently. The mauve haired boy flinched back and whirled around. When he saw her, his face softened and he bit back whatever he had been about to say. "Oh, it's you."

She rolled her eyes playfully as Kirlia teleported onto her shoulder. "What's that supposed to mean? Is that any way to treat your-"

"Wait, no!" He flushed a deep red, and shook his head. "Wait, I- uh, I mean, um, hi?"

With a laugh, she punched his shoulder lightly. "Can you believe that we lost? I totally thought our video was better than theirs. Don't you think so?"

Paul shrugged as dry air conditioning melded into the cool evening air around them. "No big deal. We're still ahead of Ketchum, so no big deal, right?"

"I guess so..." she trailed off, and their walk lapsed into silence. Kicking a stone down the gravel path, she sought out her bond with Kirlia. _"_ _Hey, did you notice anything weird with Serena today? She seemed really pissed at me about the whole Pokevision thing."_

 _"She totally thinks that you're stealing her spotlight. I wasn't there the last time you made videos, but…_ _Did you actually listen to what she yelled at you about yesterday?"_ the emotion Pokemon asked.

Erin frowned. _"Something about_ _her hand? She was pissed because I was trying to help her, which is stupid because she clearly couldn't carry that much food."_

Kirlia shook her head as she floated down to hover backwards along the path. _"You know, you're really clueless when it comes to reading other people's emotions."_

 _"Hey, that's not fair! Your species is literally called the emotion Pokemon!"_

 _"Yeah, whatever,"_ Kirlia said with a slight blush as she brushed her hair out of her face. _"Look, she's obviously trying to show people that she can do stuff, even with her arm. It's a good thing that she won today. I bet it'll help her self esteem."_

 _"_ _Oh my_ _Arceus_ _, you sound just like mom,"_ she groaned at her Pokemon.

 _"_ _Mom?"_

 _"Yeah, Grace? You know, in the hosp..."_ Erin's eyes widened as she realized the implications of what she had just said. _Wait, that's not right? My mom doesn't even exist here! Grace is Serena's mom, not mine!_ _What am I thinking?_

"Erin? Are you okay?"

Blinking, she realized that Paul and Kirlia were both staring at her in confusion. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, furious at herself. "It's nothing." _I just need to forget I_ _thought that in the first place._ "Can we have a practice battle?"

He stared at her for a moment before nodding. "Sure, how about on that beach over there?"

Five minutes later, Deerling burst onto the field happily. Ignoring Paul and his Clauncher, she ran over to Erin and nuzzled up against her leg.

Erin grinned as she stroked the deer's dappled flank. "Hey, are you feeling up for a practice battle right now?" Nodding, the season Pokemon sprinted onto the field. "Great, then let's use quick attack into wild charge!"

"Aqua jet away, now." Just as Deerling was about top collide with the small blue crab, a jet of water shot out of its claw and sent it flying away from her.

"Quick, razor leaf while it's in midair, then wild charge!" The electric aura around Deerling solidified into a swirling cloud of leaves, which shot out towards Clauncher. A quick hydro pump slammed into the grassy assault, covering the battlefield in smoke. Erin had to squint as the wild charge slammed into a brilliant rainbow barrier that sent the deer staggering backwards.

"Now, use hydro pump again!" Paul called.

"Counter with razor leaf again then take him head on with leaf attack!"

Another explosion shook the battlefield as Deerling charged through the colliding attacks in a shroud of leaves. Paul grinned victoriously as he clenched his fists. "Erin, stop making the same stupid mistake over and over again! Smack down, then hydro pump away and swords dance."

Clauncher twisted away from the attack at the last second and slammed its claw down on the season Pokemon's side. Deerling yelped in pain as she went rolling back towards Erin, who gritted her teeth angrily. "Damn it, Paul! What the hell are you talking about? Razor leaf!"

A trail of leaves followed Clauncher as it rocketed across the battlefield, shooting hyperpressured blasts of water both to block and to propel itself forwards. Paul smirked as he unzipped his sweatshirt and leaned back on his heel. "You know, you're cuter when you're angry. Launch yourself at her with aqua jet!"

"Paul, are you flirting with me?" she gasped mockingly. "I didn't know you had it in you! Take it head on with wild charge!"

"Smack down!"

"Razor leaf!"

"Protect!"

The rainbow shield collided with Deerling incredibly hard, sending her flying into the ground hard. Clauncher propelled itself back over to Paul as Deerling pulled herself to her feet and shook herself off. She yipped something to Kirlia, who said to Erin, _"She wants to keep going. Also, he kinda has a point."_

Erin glared at her companion before turning back to the battlefield. "Alright, Mr. Pathetic, tell me all of my flaws, won't you?"

He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. "Seriously though, what's up with you right now? You're attacking so aggressively that I'm literally just countering what you're doing. What happened to all of the strategy that Deerling was using against Grant or Diantha?"

"I am using strategy!" she protested, digging her foot into the sand. "I just need to go harder, that's all!"

Paul shook his head. "Erin, please, listen to me. We can talk about what's wrong later, but Deerling just doesn't have the endurance for the way you're fighting right now. You haven't used sand attack once this entire battle. Honestly, the only time I ever see you battle like this is against J or Cerys!"

"What are you talking about? You've seen me battle Cerys once, and that was just Kirlia using Misty Terrain to drive her… her… her thing away," Erin retorted, shuddered involuntarily.

"Erin!"

 _At least he cares?_ She heaved an exaggerated sigh and shifted her posture wider. "Fine, whatever. Come at me, asshole."

Kirlia snickered as she lounged in the setting sun. _"Oh, Arceus, I'm so glad that the two of you have such a functional relationship."_

"Swords dance!"

"Razor leaf!" As Clauncher was forced to break off his attack and dodge, Erin raised an eyebrow at Paul. "If I didn't know better, I would think you were _trying_ to make me go aggressive against you."

He shrugged. "Of course, I was winning! Hydro pump!"

"Use quick attack with sand attack to cover the field in sand!"

Deerling shot to the side as a blast of water soaked into the sand behind her, kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake. As the haze filled the field, Paul called, "Keep yourself in the air!"

Erin grinned; Paul wasn't wrong, she had been being reckless. This put her in a much better position. Type advantage and ranged attack with mobility? Easy. "Target practice, Deerling!"

A game of aerial cat and mouse ensued as Clauncher shot across the beach using hydro pump, protecting when he couldn't dodge. Finally, Paul called, "End this. Smack down!"

"Razor leaf!"

Erin winced as Clauncher slammed its fist down through the spinning cloud of leaves and solidly collided with Deerling's head. Her Pokemon slumped to the ground, and Erin quickly recalled her with a wry grin. "Damn it, I shouldn't have lost that. I had a type advantage too."

Paul recalled his Pokemon and looked down at the ball in satisfaction. "Good job, Clauncher. Rest as long as you need."

"So I see that Ash really wasn't lying about your skills, Paul. That Clauncher seems like it hasn't been under your possession for very long, but it's clearly a skilled battler. Ash tells me your Electivire is strongest, though. I'd like to see it battle someday."

Paul growled under his breath, and Erin mentally cursed as she strode over and grabbed his arm tightly. "Chill out," she whispered fiercely. "Please, just keep cool until he's gone." Turning, she yelled "Clemont, what's up?"

The young inventor strode onto the field purposefully, and Erin narrowed his eyes. _Something's wrong. He's never this purposeful, not even when he's battling. Does this have to do with Bonnie? Pokevision? Something else?_ He stopped short of her and looked pointedly at Paul. "I need to talk to Erin. Alone."

She opened her mouth to respond, but Paul beat her to the punch. His voice was smooth, barely concealing the calculating fury underneath. _Clemont, why did you have to mention his Electivire?_ "Anything that you can say to Erin, you can say to me."

"No." Clemont readjusted his glasses and stared at him defiantly. "We can talk later. If-if you don't, then I'll… I'll battle you to get her alone!"

Erin's eyes flashed as Paul reached for Pidgeot's pokeball and Clemont grabbed Chespin's. _If I don't stop them, Paul is going to tear him to pieces._

The mauve haired boy smirked as he grabbed the pokeball. "Fine by me!"

 _"Kirlia, end this now."_

Both boys froze as Kirlia rolled her eyes at them. _"That's a shame. This was just about to get good."_

"Alright, Paul, you need to chill out. Clemont, no matter what you say, I'm going to tell Paul anyways, so you might as well just say it to both of us," Erin said, crossing her arms.

"Fine, but can you put me down?" The blonde boy slumped as the psychic surrounding him and Paul disappeared. "It's about Serena."

"What about her?"

"Erin, she told me everything." Clemont took a deep breath, then glared at Erin murderously. "Would you care to explain why you've been lying to us for so long?"

 **?'s Perspective - ?**

 _"Zygarde."_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"The time has come._ _I am prepared to make my move._ _Are you prepared for the seal?"_

 _"Yes. My presence has been far too much for the young one. Our plan for our meeting remains the same."_

 _"And the chosen?"_

 _"She will be ready._ _She must be ready for what is to come."_

 **[A/N] Yeah, there's a cliffhanger and some foreshadowing there. Digital cookies to anyone who can guess what happens next chapter from the ? bit.**

 **I actually really like the practice battle between Erin and Paul here. I think it's the first time they've fought, and in-battle dialogue just flows so much better with them. I need to figure out how to work a full battle between them in somehow…**

 **Now, to respond to my lovely reviewers:**

 _ **SN – Erin and Serena are the two protagonists of this story. However, that doesn't mean that everyone sees Erin as a protagonist. Some characters really, really hate her right now. (*cough *cough Korrina)**_

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – Not a sequel, but this story is internally divided into what will be four parts. Currently, we are in Part Two, which I marked at the end of chapter 20.**_

 _ **KawaiiSilvy – Thank you so much! A lot of the aforementioned flaws are mostly in earlier chapters, so I'm really glad you stuck with it. You have no idea how much it means to me that this story helped you get over your writing block. Stick with it, and I'm sure that your writing will be amazing!**_

 **PSA – I'm currently in the process of drafting out the next arc of the story, and I'm stumped as to what Erin's fourth Pokemon should be. As so, I'm turning to you readers to ask this: WHAT TYPE SHOULD ERIN'S NEXT POKEMON BE? You can either REVIEW to let me know, or vote on the POLL I created on my profile. Make sure your opinion is heard! The following types are NOT included: Dragon, Fairy, Electric, Flying, Psychic, Grass, and Normal. (Five are already on Erin's team, Flying is plot related, and I'm bored of writing about electric types.)**

 **Check out QUALITY CONTROLLED AMOUR through my profile page or by going to the communities page!**

 **As always, thank you so much for all of your love and support. This is Pokefan87, signing out.**


	39. X

Chapter 39 – X

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Erin froze as Clemont took a step towards her. _Serena told him…_ _everything?_ Coldly, she said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Clemont grabbed one of his pokeballs in each of his hands and took a fighting stance. "If you don't answer, I'll… I'll… I'll fight you for it! You have no idea what she's going through right now."

Kirlia teleported in front of Erin with a growl, and she glanced at Paul quickly before responding. "What do you mean, everything?"

"Serena told me everything she knows about you, Erin. Where are you actually from?" the blonde boy growled.

 _I can't tell you that, and we both know it._ In a flash, she released Druddigon behind her and stared defiantly at him. "Does Ash know?"

Clemont shook his head and laughed curtly. "Arceus, you really are clueless about Serena, aren't you? She and Ash aren't speaking right now."

"What! Why not? Did I do something?"

He glared at her and nodded. "She confessed to Ash after he yelled at Froaky. It didn't go well."

Starting to panic, Erin shook her head slowly as she backed up in Druddigon. "No, that can't be. That's not possible. That can't be possible! Did she tell Ash?"

Clemont shook his head. "You're unbelievable. Have you really not noticed that Ash and Serena aren't speaking?"

"What? When did tha-"

"She tried to commit suicide because of you."

Erin froze, and she stared at Clemont in shock. The young inventor's furious glare sent daggers into her heart as her Pokemon protectively drew closer to her. _What?_

"Have you honestly been this clueless?" he began slowly, gradually speeding up as he got angrier and angrier. "I'm not as dense as Ash, and Serena's my best friend. She has been in love with this boy for years, and she's kept after him because he told her to never give up. She told me that since the start of this journey, she's wanted it to be hers. Do you know how many times you've taken her spotlight? That stunt you pulled with Pokevision, for example. Now that I know that you're not her real sister, it just all seems so much clearer."

"Clemont, please stop..." Erin whispered, and was ignored.

He shook his head. "She's obsessed with beating you, Erin. Right before Sanpei was kidnapped, in the forest, when she found Elle? She decided that she was going to be 'stronger' than you. At TE, when Serena was kidnapped, she decided that she was going to save the day. Do you even realize how much it destroyed her when you showed up at the last second to save her? She had already failed, and you just made it worse. Have you even noticed that she's been depressed since the disaster?"

"Clemont, please. I-"

"Shut up, I'm not done yet!" Clemont yelled. "Stop trying to help her! You've been on your deluded little quest to make her better since the tournament, and it's making everything worse. You're damn lucky that Rotom and Fennekin stopped her, Erin, or she would have been dead because of you and Ash. Tell me where you came from, and why you're ruining our lives like this!"

Frantically, Kirlia said, _"Erin, he doesn't mean it, he's just furious, please don't-"_

Erin blocked her Pokemon out as her hands shook. Paul grabbed her arm, but she violently yanked it away from him. _This is my fault. He's right, this is all my fault. I'm ruining everything._

"Erin..." Paul murmured. "Please, we're here for you."

"Give me Pidgeot's pokeball."

"But-"

"GIVE ME THE POKEBALL!" she yelled, suddenly desperate to get away, as far away as possible, anywhere but there.

Paul tried to resist, but Kirlia forced his hand open with psychic and dropped the ball into Erin's hand. _"I'll give you fifteen minutes, then I'm coming for you. Pidgeot won't let you kill yourself, so don't even think about it."_

Erin broke away from her Pokemon and jumped onto Pidgeot's back. She whispered into his ear, "Take me out into the woods." The bird tensed slightly, then nodded and shot off into the air. They flew for a minute before Erin guided him to a landing in the middle of a glade.

She took two steps away before she collapsed to her knees in tears. _This wasn't supposed to happen! I… I should have walked away from Serena in Vainville Town. Camp was supposed to get better! Why do I fuck everything up!_

 _Cerys._

Sniffling, she reached under her shirt and pulled the mega keystone pendant out from underneath. _Cerys brought me here. Cerys brought Paul here. She set this chain of events in motion. I'm done listening to anything she wants me to do. I'll find her, and I'll… I'll kill her for what she's done to Serena!_

She unclasped the necklace from around her and stared at the backside. "Pidgeot, use hidden power."

Green light spilled into the woods as the inky black mark painted itself across the pendant and her hand. Crying out wordlessly, Erin stood up and hurled the pendant against a nearby rock. Rather than breaking the mega stone, though, it simply bounced off and landed in the nearby grass. She stared at it for a moment before picking it up and slinging it against the rock with as much force as she could muster.

Silver light filled the air as green melted into an overwhelming radiance, refracting through the clearing as the broken links soared into the air. The mega stone fell to the matted grass as a shower of metal sank through the light around it. Erin's mark burned on the back of her hand, and she fell to her knees and clutched it as a Pokemon stepped up in front of her.

 _"_ _Stand down, foolish bird. Your aura is nothing to mine, and my aura alone is the true nature of life. This child must suffer alone,_ _and it is her burden to carry."_

Her antlers spread out over her head like crown, sparkling jewels of life shining through the forest. Erin fell to her knees and bowed her head as Xerneas stepped onto the rock, speechless.

 _"_ _You do not belong in my world. You have interfered for far too long, yet I am unable to lay my mark down upon you. Powerful influences shape your fate, far greater than I may interfere with."_

Reaching over, she lifted the mega stone out of the grass and stared at the slight glow emanating off of it. "Why?" was all she could croak out.

 _"I believe that you are already aware of the history of the stone you hold. You hold a part of my aura in your hands, delivered to you by one who might seek to use it. Remove its taint and carry it well, and take this blessing alongside it."_

The legendary Pokemon reached down and pressed her nose against the gemstone causing it to glow even brighter. _"The omniphage told you of a cave deep in azure bay. You would be wise to follow her advice and explore it when the time comes. Moreover, to the south of this place, the reflection cave lies deep inside of a mountain. Press the stone to the mirror. Seek out what you wish to know above all else there, and you will find the answers you are looking for. You will know when the time is right."_

"But why would you give this to me?" Erin asked in awe. "I- I've ruined everything! This world… Nothing was supposed to happen this way."

 _"Your friends and lover will soon return to you."_ The legendary turned away from her and began to walk away. _"All things in this world happens for a reason. You simply have not discovered yours yet."_

The clearing seemed infinitely dark and silent in the soft morning light as Erin silently started crying.

"Have I ever told you that you run off alone way too much before?"

She flinched as Paul wrapped his arms around her awkwardly and cradled her head against his chest. "Go away," she mumbled into his chest, trying and failing to pull away.

He shook his head and hugged her tighter. "Arceus, you're pathetic. You should just look at yourself right now, you're worse than a Bonsly."

"Paul..."

"See, you even have a stick in your hair. How lame is that?" He plucked it out and held it down against his chest for her to see.

Despite herself, a giggle escaped from Erin's lips. "Shut up, loser. You're the pathetic one," she choked out between sobs and laughs. "You even said so yourself."

Softly, he kissed her forehead and eased her out of his embrace. Sniffling, Erin leaned back, the first leaves of fall crackling against her palms. Paul's smile was taut and his fists clenched, mauve hair a wild mess. "Sorry about almost killing Clemont, back there."

"It's not your fault. If I had known that he was going to talk about… before, I would have stopped him sooner." Erin shook her head. "I should have stopped him sooner."

Paul barked out a harsh laugh. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

Paul ignored her question as he rose to his feet and walked to the foot of the rock. Kneeling down, he scooped up the fallen links of the necklace. "This is the pendant Cerys gave you… Where's the stone?"

Wordlessly, Erin handed him the keystone. "Paul, tell me what I'm doing!"

"Stop blaming yourself."

"For what?"

Paul sat back down next to her. She gulped and turned away as she met his intense gray eyes. "For everything. TE wasn't your fault, and neither is what happened to Serena. Nothing that you could have done would have changed that."

"I could have not existed here," she replied bitterly.

"You didn't choose to be here," he shot back. "This is Cerys' fault, not yours. You don't belong here."

Erin's gut twisted uncomfortably as her eyes flashed. "If I don't belong here, then why does what we have feel real? Why does this hurt so much?"

Paul opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Erin, you know that's not what I meant."

"I met Xerneas."

"Huh?" Paul looked dumbfounded.

"Just now, she appeared here. I don't know why. I don't even understand life anymore."

"Pun intended?"

"Oh, shut up," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "Even the legendaries I meet tell me that I have a purpose here, Paul. Don't you get it? I know what will happen already! If things go wrong, it's because of something I did."

Paul didn't have a response to that, so they lapsed into silence. Finally, he asked, "So what are you going to do about it?"

Staring bleakly at the ground, she shrugged. "Why did I even hide all of this from them in the first place? Helping someone from another world seems like the sort of thing Ash Ketchum would love to do. Now I've screwed this up, I still don't know why I'm here, and there's no way I can actually tell them now."

"Why not?"

"Haven't I hurt enough people already?" she shot back.

"You still haven't answered my question, though."

A Tailow chirped peacefully in a nearby tree as she thought, grinding her fist into the hardened earth beneath her. "Xerneas said… she said that when I needed answers for what I desire above all else, I should go to the reflection cave."

Paul's eyes widened, and he slouched back onto his hands. "OK, that's really close to here. Do you want to go tonight?"

Erin shook her head. "No, we should finish camp first, and then go with the rest of the group. What do you think she meant?"

"I have no idea. Isn't that why we have to go?"

The temperature in the clearing dropped ten degrees as a certain furious fairy type teleported in front of them. _"Erin, you met the single most powerful and revered Fairy type on Earth and you didn't let me meet her!?"_

Erin gulped as she tried to make herself as small as possible. _Forget Cerys… This is going to be the death of me._

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

 _"_ _Ash!"_

 _The metallic walls of her tiny cell closed in around her, Looker slumped unconsciously in a corner. Ash ran onto the narrow catwalk over a sleeping Zekrom, striking a fighting pose as a Greninja jumped in front of him. Hunter J released her Salamance and her Latios, snarling at the raven haired boy._

"Look at the mess princess has gotten herself into this time."

 _Wildly, Serena spun her head around to stare at Rotom. "Please, I have to warn Ash, this place is going to explode! He has to run! Get me out of here!"_

"It's too late," _the plasma Pokemon sneered._ "He's had you on his little leash this whole time, so why should he let you go now? Be his good little whore and go sit yourself in the corner with the bald guy."

 _Her eyes flashed, but her hands we glued to the bars, so she screamed, "Shut up, pervert! Ash! You have to run!"_

 _J struck, and Serena's gut twisted as Salamance slashed through Greninja's abdomen. Ash turned to her and shook his head. "It's impossible, Serena. We should give it up. You should just give up..." Spreading his wings wide, he let himself tumble from the platform. Halfway down, Latios slammed against his torso, sending him flying into the wall like a rag doll._

 _Serena screamed as the door to the cell flew open, taking her hand with it. Suddenly, J was there with a knife, and she grinned psychotically. "Why don't you let me help you with that?" she snarled, and slashed the blade through her wrist._

 _Everything froze as the mysterious woman appeared, pulling her hood down to reveal Erin. All of a sudden, they were back in the center on route five, and Erin whispered, "Do you really want to know, Serena? Do you really want to know how I know you, and Ash, and Bonnie and Clemont and every person Ash has ever traveled with? I could tell you."_

 _Pain coursing through her body, Serena nodded weakly, and Erin laughed._

 _"It's too late for you, Serena Yvonne. You'll never be strong enough to match up to me."_

 _Zekrom awoke, and the world was a burning white that glowed brighter than the sun, and all she could do was scream…_

She shot upright, heavy breaths filling the morning air as a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead and into her eye. Panicked, she looked around her to see Clemont and Ash sitting concernedly at the foot of her bed, staring at her in worry. Unclenching her fist, she shoved her hand into her bedhead to force it down as a laugh of relief escaped her lips. "It was a dream..."

"Serena..." Ash started, then turned to Clemont, who blushed nervously.

"I get it, I'll get out of here. Come to breakfast when you're done, okay?" The straw-haired inventor scooped up Bonnie and left the cabin.

Ash watched him go, then turned back to Serena, who was fighting to calm her breathing down. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head breathlessly, unable to tear her mind away from the image of his crumpled form lying on the metallic ground.

The raven haired boy bit his lip as he sat down on the bed next to her. "Serena-" he started, voice cracking. "Clemont told me. I'm so sorry."

Serena gently reached over and brushed a tear off his cheek. "Ash, don't cry, please," she whispered.

"No. If I hadn't let you go back that night, then-"

"I like you, Ash."

He was silent, auburn eyes stormy as they focused on his hands.

Serena sighed as the horror of her dream began to fade away. "That kiss wasn't supposed to be the start of something, or ever a part of that. That was supposed to be goodbye, only now I'm still here and nothing is different."

"Goodbye?" Ash whispered, brushing a finger against his lips.

"You told me to never give up until the end." Reaching across Ash, she got her hat and pulled a piece of fabric out of it. "Then, you told me that you were giving up." She handed it back to him with a shrug. "I tried to let go, but Clemont and my Pokemon wouldn't let me. You were already gone."

Ash reached up to wipe his eyes, then stopped. "Wait a second. Isn't this that handkerchief that I gave to you at camp all those years ago?"

Serena nodded. "I was going to give it back to you when we first met, when Erin was gone, but I just forgot."

He let his hands fall to his lap. "Arceus, I'm selfish. You've been holding onto this for years, and I was too selfish to even notice."

"Ash, I-" Fighting her hair down again, she said, "I need to know something."

"What?"

 _Ten years… I can do this._ Taking a deep breath, she said, "Ash, I like you. Like, I mean, I like like you. And I need to know whether that means anything to you. Because on the beach, you didn't seem to know what that meant, and if you care more about Froaky than me a third time, then..."

Ash turned beet red as he looked at the cloth. "Serena, you know that I would never want anything to hurt you."

 _So that's how it is._ Turning away, she let out a shaky sigh. "Then why did you, Ash?"

"I-" He stopped, breathing heavily as he sniffled.

Serena pulled her knees up to her chest, gently rocking back and forth on the bed. "Ash, do you care or not? Please, I can't handle not knowing."

"Of course I care!" he yelled, putting his hand on her shoulder. "It's just… Froaky said he was going to leave, to-" He gulped and kept going, "to find another trainer just like he found me. You were doing so much better after that week where we trained, and I had no idea that you were so close to… Serena, if I had known that following after Froaky would have meant that you would- you would- you-"

 _I'm done with this._ Whirling around, she screamed, "Damn it, Ash! Do you love me or not?"

"I don't know! If you're asking whether I feel something for you, than yes, but do you really want us to start like this?"

"That wouldn't be a problem if you weren't so fucking dense!" she yelled back. "How the hell did you think I was OKAY after TE? After I lost my hand? If you care, then you should care about the way I feel, not just your own stupid training methods."

Ash growled and punched the bed. "Look at yourself right now, Serena! I don't know what your dream was, but you tried to commit suicide three days ago. I'm trying to help you, and-"

" _I don't need your help."_ Serena narrowed her eyes at him in unveiled fury. "You and Erin, you're the same. You both see me as this stupid helpless moron-"

"Serena..."

"-who can't fight crud with a little Fennekin and a perverted Rotom. I don't need you to be strong! I want you to see me as an equal! I want you to listen to me, not to fix me. You two deserve each other, honestly. I don't even know why I'm wasting my time on you!"

"Serena!" Ash pulled away from her and stood up.

"What?"

"I don't think that about you! I think you're smart, and passionate, and an amazing person! I'm just afraid for you, that's all." Calming down, he settled back onto the bed and looked her in the eye. Despite herself, she felt heat rising through her body and bit her lip. "I get depression, Serena. It happens to me every time I lose a league. I understand that you think we're trying to be strong for you, but you're only going to feel worse if you push us all away."

Serena shook her head in disbelief. "It never ceases to amaze me how undense you can be sometimes. Seriously, someone should pay you to write their speeches."

"Just tell me what you want me to do, Serena." Ash looked hopeful, as if he hoped that he had broken through.

"Give me a straight answer. Do you like me, or not?"

"Do you remember when you ran after me, in Cyllage City?" he asked her, and she narrowed her eyes.

"When you lied to me about not giving up on Froaky?"

He ignored her and kept going. "I remember thinking that night about how you were the only one of my traveling companions who would have done that for me. Then, you also hugged me… I didn't know what to think. After you were kidnapped at TE, what do you think I was doing for a day? I spent twelve hours searching for you because I was scared that you had gone and gotten yourself killed. After TE, you were so ready to open up, but… It feels like ever since you lost your hand, you've gotten more and more obsessed with being strong on your own. It's hard to watch, Serena. I… I feel like I'm loosing you and Froaky, and I don't know if I can handle that."

She shook her head. "Ash, that's not an answer."

Ash sighed, digging his fingers under the wool comforter. "If I tell you that I do, will you at least tell Nurse Joy about what's been going on? You don't have to constantly feel like this, there are anti-depressants you should be taking, and there's no way I'm ever going to let you attempt suicide again."

 _He's driving me crazy right now!_ "Ash, do you?"

"Yes! Are you happy?" he burst out, face unreadable. "I've liked you since Cyllage City! That doesn't matter right now, though, and neither does Froaky. I'm worried about you. Can you let me help you figure out how to feel better?"

Euphoria mixing with anger and confusion, Serena sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I guess so. This really wasn't the way I wanted this to happen."

Ash's stomach growled, and he looked up at her sheepishly. "Guess my stomach hasn't forgotten to eat like we have. Look, I can't promise that things with Froaky are going to work out, because I just don't know right now. What I will do is try as hard as I can to make it work."

"And what about us?"

He smiled bitterly. "Things aren't the way they were before, are they? I need to think and figure things out with Froaky, but-"

"But what?"

Ash locked eyes with her in determination. "I won't let this go untouched forever, I'll promise you that. Soon… When everything seems less screwed up, maybe we could go… go out… on a date?"

Serena smiled faintly, never fully reaching her eyes. "I think that I'd like that, sometime."

He nodded uncertainly, then stood up and gestured at the door. "Alright then, let's go eat. I'm starving."

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Alright, so I'm depressed, Kirlia's pissed, Paul is sleepy, and Pidgeot, Deerling, and Druddigon are confused. Did I miss anything?"

A chorus of groans and cries answered Erin, and she nodded. "Alright, so we're going to do a speed run of this stupid orienteering thing. Sounds good?"

Everyone nodded, so Team Dialga broke their huddle and turned towards the starting line. Professor Sycamore got onto a makeshift observation deck and pulled out a microphone. "Good morning, campers! Today's orienteering challenge is about to start! Ready, set, go!"

Erin pressed a button on her Poketch, and a timer started running. "Kirlia, now!"

 **00:00**

They arrived at the base of a tall cliff, and Erin nodded at Druddigon. Taking a running start, she jumped onto his back and they climbed up the side. Sophie blinked twice as she grabbed the stamp and pressed it against the book. "My, you got here fast."

Erin grinned at her. "That's kinda the point."

 **00:54**

"That's a bridge." Paul nodded to Pidgeot, and the bird shot into the air above the rickety wood, dropping him on the other side.

 _"Thank you, captain obvious,"_ Kirlia scoffed as she teleported them away.

 **01:09**

Kirlia's psychic faded as she and Erin burst out of the tunnels to the top of the hill. _"_ _Forget Zubats. Aron are the worst cave Pokemon, no contest."_

 _"That's not even true!"_

 _"Steel types. Need I say more?"_

 **02:49**

"Druddigon, iron head!"

One of Sycamore's assistants protested loudly as the tree fell to the ground. "Hey, you're supposed to climb it, not knock it down!"

Erin shrugged as she and Deerling walked onto the log and stamped the booklet. "See? Wasn't that easy?"

 **03:17**

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Paul shot out of Clauncher's cannon, missed the island by ten feet, and splashed down into the water.

 _"_ _Should I have caught him?"_ Kirlia asked.

Erin gave her a mirthful smile. _"Nah, I'm sure that_ _it'll wake him up_ _."_

 **4:59**

"Professor, we're back!"

Sycamore did a double take when he saw Erin and Paul on his deck. "Wait, but it's only been five minutes! How is that possible?"

Erin smiled sweetly at him. "Never doubt a bunch of angry idiotic teenagers. Not even for a second."

 **Bonnie's Perspective – Summer Camp**

It was like waking up, almost.

Her world was a cage, a hexagon of endless green that filled the world around her. She could feel it tugging at her chest, like an emerald python constricting her soul. She wanted to curl up, to scream, but the presence told her to move, to eat, to sleep. Without it, she would be devoid; of what, she wasn't sure anymore.

Suddenly, there was light, a prismatic beam that sliced through the verdant monotony around her. She stopped moving as it painted a path across the forest floor, guiding her in a different direction. For the first time in weeks, she found herself eager to move forwards, although that vanished in seconds.

Why had she wanted to take the path before her? It was nothing to her, rather, it was less that nothing. Green was everything, the six sided cell was perfection. No, it went further than that.

She was the cell.

Yet... Almost unwillingly, she followed the path anyways.

And before her was a Pokemon, unfamiliar yet familiar. It bent down to gently brush her forehead, and she gasped as the green instantly melted away from the world.

Bonnie screamed violently as she collapsed to the ground. She had been at the Tournament Extraordinaire with Big Brother and everyone else, when suddenly… _Smoke. Dust. Death. Blood. Green. More death. More green._ Curling up, her primeval cry tore through the forest, sending Pokemon flying through the branches and into the sky.

 _"_ _Child, you experiences have been far worse than one of your years ought to experience. Please, be at peace."_

A gentle calm spread the warmth of a hearth in the wintertime through Bonnie's shuddering body. Slowly, she let her mouth slip shut and her tears stopped and she pulled herself into an upright position. Her voice was raspy and weak from disuse. "I want my momma," she whimpered.

 _"_ _Your mother passed through Yveltal's wings and into the void years ago. Are you fit enough to listen?"_

A strange numbness over took Bonnie as she nodded.

The Pokemon bowed her head. _"_ _A great misfortune has taken place, an imbalance of order in Kalos. Many human and Pokemon lives have been lost before their time. The guardians of Kalos found ourselves taking actions against our will in retribution."_

 _"You have been given a blessing which is also a curse. You were not strong enough to control it, so it was taking over your mind and body. Given enough time, you would have become a cell, a small green creature that forms the semblance of order. We have recognized the value you present us with, so we have decided to spare that fate and intervene."_

Bonnie shook her head. "Why?"

 _"_ _We would not have chosen this path, but it was chosen for us by powers greater than us. You are now this first in two millennium to hold the power you have been given. For now, we have blocked all but a part of it. In your mind's eye, see a spot of green. Learn to control that dot, and you will discover the Pokemon who this power_ _belongs to."_

 _"I must depart, child, but heed this. It is of utmost importance that you gain your trainer's license_ _before returning to Lumiose City. Tonight, after your meal, present yourself in front of Augustine Sycamore. You will know what to_ _say._ _Farewell..."_

"Bonnie!"

Eyes filling up with tears again, she yelled, "Big brother!" As Clemont burst into the clearing, she flung herself into his arms sobbing. "It was horrible! There was- There was-" Unable to bring herself to talk, she just buried her face in his jumpsuit.

Clemont's eyes watered as he stared down at his little sister. "Bonnie… You're talking again," he whispered. "Don't worry, everything will be okay."

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Fennekin yawned and stretched in Serena's arm as she reached out and pushed a tree branch aside. "Guys, I think we're lost. I can't see anything in this mist, and my arm hurts. Can we go back?"

Rotom buzzed as it floated along side her. _"Beats me._ _If we're lost, then how are we going to get back?"_

She just _hated_ it when Rotom was logical. "I don't know. Do you want to prove your worth and pull up a map or GPS or something?"

 _"_ _What's the magic word?"_

"Rotom," she growled threateningly.

 _"_ _Aren't princesses supposed to have good manners?"_

If the Pokemon wasn't a stupidly hard to get Ghost-Electric type, she would have strangled him ages ago. "I don't have time for this right now! Fennekin, hurt it, please."

The fire type, half asleep in her arms, halfheartedly blew a tiny ball of fire out of her mouth which fizzled out a foot in front of her. "Fenne..."

Rotom grinned as it floated in front of her. _"Would it kill ya to say please?"_

Serena groaned, but caved anyways. "Fiiiine. Could you _please_ get a GPS to get us out of this forest?"

 _"_ _Nope! The mist is blocking my signal!"_

Legends of a tree with a Rotom embedded deep within would be told in the area for centuries.

 _"_ _Serena Yvonne."_

She whirled around to see a majestic Pokemon walking towards her, which she instantly recognized from old bedtime stories her mom used to tell her. Her brain stopped functioning for a moment as she sharply drew in breath. "Xerneas?"

The radiant legendary nodded, and closed her eyes. _"Tell me, child. What is it that you are seeking? What do you stand to gain from getting stronger?"_

Serena blinked, unsure of whether she was dreaming or not. "What am I seeking? Well, I guess… Bonnie?"

Xerneas shook her head. _"The little one has been found by her nest mate. But you… You no longer seek Ash Ketchum as your goal, do you?"_

Serena's throat was dry as she tried to speak. "No."

 _"_ _Rather, you now seek Erin instead, the only one who you never understand."_

"I-"

 _"_ _Do not deny it."_ Xerneas stepped forwards, making Serena feel even more insignificant than before. _"_ _When you fought to stop the tragedy at your human tournament, you never considered those around you for a second. While the attempt was valiant, it does not change the selfish nature of your motivation. You stand to gain nothing if you push your friends away to get it. So I will ask you again, and I expect an honest answer. Why do you want to get stronger?"_

Serena sighed and bowed her head. "Because of Erin."

 _"_ _You have a hard path to walk, Serena. Out of all of your friends, you alone will fight the hardest. I give you the gift of life, although you will only discover its power in time. When the moment comes, you will know what to do. But first, learn what you are fighting for. Only once you recognize the value and harmony of the life around will you know what to protect. There, your true strength will shine through. We will meet again in the All-Earth Valley. Reach out your arm who has paid its price."_

Trembling, Serena reached out with her bad arm, and Xerneas gently reached down and brushed her snout against it. She gasped as a cold fire filled it, and watched in awe as the scar faded away into unblemished flesh. The fire did not disappear, but rather seemed to imbue her arm like a strange glove.

The legendary nodded. _"_ _I cannot restore your hand for you, but I have healed your arm to the best of life's abilities. It will pain you no longer, and for all purposes it will be as if you were born without a hand. Find a purpose for your strength, Serena. It will guide you through dark times. My gift has been given, use it well."_

Xerneas nodded and departed, and Serena sank to her knees. Fennekin pawed at her side and whimpered, and she stared at her Pokemon. _A purpose for my strength?_

 _How am I supposed to find that?_

 **Alain's Perspective – Ninja Village**

PAWNIARD, THE SHARP BLADE POKEMON. PAWNIARD'S ENTIRE BODY IS MADE OF BLADES WHICH IT USES TO INFLICT DAMAGE ON ITS OPPONENT. THIS PAWNIARD KNOWS THE MOVES SCRATCH, LEER, AND PURSUIT.

Alain frowned as he carefully set the rusty old Pokedex on the bench beside him. "Huh, so you really are just a baby, aren't you?"

Pawniard looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded. Alain smiled as he gently knelt down to pet her forehead, then grabbed two logs and set them out five yards away from his Pokemon. "Alright, so here's what I want you to do. Can you use scratch on those logs?"

Pawniard's eyes sparked as she nodded, and Alain gaped as she suddenly sprang into her attack mode. Her tumbling step turned into a focused sprint, arms flying out behind her, before jumping into the air and bringing her blades down on a log, splitting it in half. Landing gracefully, she shot him a challenging look before taking a bow.

Alain laughed as he walked over with an appraising look. "That's the last time I ever underestimate you." Thoughtfully, he nodded as he scooped the now innocent looking Pokemon up into his arms. _She's a dark type for a reason. I need to make sure I don't underestimate her._

"She's fast, for a beginner. With some basic agility work, I'm sure that she can become a powerhouse."

Alain spun around to see a tall figure in blue body armor standing behind him. "Oh, I didn't see you standing there. I just got her, so I haven't really had much time to work with her. What's your name?"

The man nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting. You really are an outsider, just like Hanzo said. I suppose he's telling the truth that you know nothing about my brother, Sanpei?" Alain gestured his affirmation, and the ninja's smile slid slightly. "In any case, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Ippei, and I'm the next in line to be the chief of this village."

Alain stuck out his gloved hand, and Ippei took it. "Alain, nice to meet you. Were you out searching for him?"

"Yeah. How'd you know that?"

He shrugged, gently letting Pawniard down besides him. "I've been talking to Gin a bunch, since he's the only one here who acknowledges my existence. He told me about Sanpei and everything. You wouldn't have happened to come across a young girl named Mairin in your searches?"

Ippei knelt down to gently scratch the underside of Pawniard's helmet. "No, but I do have a good many tales to tell about my time away from home. Certainly we will have more time to discuss it. Now, you seem like a good sort of person, so how did you manage to get my sister in law so riled up?"

Alain gulped as the man's intense eyes bored through his forehead. "Ah, well, first she though I had kidnapped her brother, which was bad. Then she convinced herself that I was a pervert, which was worse. Then I walked into her studio..."

Ippei winced. "That's unfortunate. Hanzo should have warned you about her first. We all call her Flames here, and that's not just because of the hair. Don't know what Sanpei sees- no, saw in her."

He didn't fail to see the saddened look that passed across the ninja's face. "Arceus. Is that why you're back here?"

Closing his eyes, he nodded sadly. "Nihei won't give up yet, but I have a village to run and protect. I found no trace in six weeks of searching for him, and I'm our best tracker. At this point, our best hope is that he's locked up in some Syndicate base, hopefully alive."

Alain's brow scrunched up. "What's the Syndicate?"

"Wow, you really are amnesiac." Ippei leaned back against the bench and sighed. "About seven months ago now, the criminal groups Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, Team Plasma, Team Flare, most of Team Rocket, and the Pokemon Hunters all broke out of jail at the same time to come together under a single banner. A splinter ninja group we've been monitoring called Kagemoto's Army also joined up. They've been terrorizing Kalos for about two months. There was an attack on a bus, the destruction of the Aquacorde Pokemon center and kidnapping of my brother, an explosion at Lysandre Labs, and the TE disaster. We've pushed our security way up, but we're not sure if it'll be enough when they come here."

One of the attacks he had mentioned caught his attention in particular. "The TE disaster?"

The ninja grimaced. "Do you know Unovan football? No, of course you don't. That game is played with a strange oblong ball, and teams of people and Pokemon run and throw the ball across a hundred yard field. Four downs, getting it in the end zone scores seven points?"

Alain frowned, unsure of where he was going. "So?"

Ippei exhaled sadly. "The Big Stadium in Nimbasa seats 70,000 people. The Tournament Extraordinaire was the biggest battling event to be scheduled this calendar year. That stadium seated 75,000 people. A kid named Ash Ketchum won the whole thing."

"What happened."

"They woke up Zekrom right in the damn middle of the finals, two weeks ago. Kalos Champion Diantha and Sinnoh Champion Cynthia had about ten seconds warning before the place went nuclear. 55,000 people died. Worst loss of human life since the great wars, more that a century ago. Diantha's about to lose her job over it. People are calling for a ban on all Legendary Pokemon, Unova was just about ready to declare war until Cynthia managed to defuse the situation. The battle to see if Diantha stays champion is live tomorrow, so you should watch."

Alain inhaled sharply. "That's terrible."

Ippei sighed, rising to his feet. "Anyways, I'll talk to Yuki for you. She is responsible for you, after all, unless she'd rather be responsible for the latrines until Sanpei is found." He gave a hollow chuckle at his dark humor before walking off towards the village center.

Alain settled back down as he walked away. _I wonder… If he never saw Sanpei after searching for that long, how am I ever going to find Mairin?_

Pawniard rubbed her head against his leg, and he smiled down at her. "Come on, you. Let's get back to training."

 **[A/N] Clemont gets his Moment of Angrytm.**

 **This chapter really forced me to fill in my outline with concrete. Why? There is literally so much foreshadowing in here that it makes my head burst.**

 **Bonnie is FINALLY okay again, and she will actually have her own focused character arc from here forwards. Honestly, that's a great thing in my book. Bonnie is just a great character in general, after all.**

 **Ash and Serena's relationship isn't flawless, and it's never going to be flawless. My hope is that it feel realistic to their situations, and they ARE moving forwards.**

 **Erin and Serena both receive cryptic gifts from Xerneas. I will say no more here.**

 _ **REVIEWS:**_

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – My estimate would be in fifteen chapters, give or take three. Thanks so much for your support!**_

 _ **Charlie515 – No, I think this chapter makes it pretty clear that Serena won't get her hand back**_

 _ **TTG227 – Sure! ^_^**_

 _ **PikaMew1288 – Thanks for the feedback!**_

 **REMINDERS:**

The **POLL** to choose Erin's next Pokemon type is still up! Go make your voices heard **on my profile or in a review**! Ghost, bug, and ice are tied for the lead right now.

Go check out **QUALITY CONTROLLED AMOUR** by clicking through to my profile or the communities tab!

 **Wow, that A/N was really long. Anyways, thanks so much for reading as always! I love you guys! Remember to leave a review so I can keep improving for your enjoyment! This is Pokefan87, signing out.**


	40. Kindling

Chapter 40 – Kindling

 **[A/N] I'm back, after an unannounced and unanticipated hiatus. This chapter is shorter, to ease both me and you guys back into the story. Much longer A/N at the bottom.**

 **Team Rocket's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Cheers!"

Jessie sighed contentedly as she set her wine glass down and looked down happily at her clean plate. "We are such good cooks."

James nodded as Inkay dove happily into a bowl of croissants. "I haven't eaten this well since before we saw the twerp for the first time."

Meowth nodded, rubbing his bulging belly. "And it's all thank ta you two lugs for landing us dis sweet undercover job."

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mind if I join in?"

Team Rocket spun around to see the blond twerpette leaning against the door frame, lazily tossing a luxury ball up and down in her hand. James jumped to his feet and pointed angrily at her. "You! What are you doing here?"

Ignoring him, she walked over and pulled a chair up next to Meowth, ignoring the claws he was brandishing at her. "I have a proposition for you, idiots. Do you want to listen, or should I let Kirlia drag you outside and blast you halfway to Kanto myself?"

Jessie stared fearfully at the Kirlia hovering behind the twerp and nodded. "What do you want?"

She smirked and leaned back in her chair, white hoodie catching her cascading hair. "Here's the deal. You're not going to attack the finals tomorrow, like you're planning on doing. Instead, you battle me and Deerling right now."

James raised an eyebrow at her. "How did you know our plans?"

The twerp rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me? Just because all my friends are dense doesn't mean I can't see right through your awful disguises. Anyways, you talk like you're addressing a crowd. Even without that, Kirlia can sense your malicious intent from a mile away."

"Dey work on Ketchup," Meowth muttered.

To Team Rocket's surprise, the twerp laughed brightly, leaving them in stunned silence. "That's because Ketchup's about as observant as a rock. I mean, you've been obsessively stalking him for six years now. You've got to have at least a grasp on his personality."

Jessie shook her head. "No way, we just got onto the boss' good side. Why should we battle you?"

"Well, first of all, I'm not actually giving you a choice," she said, catching her luxury ball again. "Second of all, you're going to get out of here whether you win or lose, but if you win, I'll help you catch some wild Pokemon."

Team Rocket stared stupidly at her. Finally, Meowth said, "Oi, Twerpette, what was your name again?"

Erin smiled as she got to her feet and walked towards the door. "Erin Yvonne. Are we going to have this battle or not?"

As Team Rocket and Erin walked out of the building, a small black cube on the table blinked to life, forgotten in the criminal's wake.

 **Team Rocket HQ**

"THOSE FOOLS!"

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

The tide crashed down on the sandy beach, a low rumble that filled the air with the ebb and swell of the world around her.

Serena stared blankly at the corner of her sandy beach towel. She could hear Bonnie yelping happily as she, Bunnelby, and Chimchou danced around in the surf. The sun beat down from above her, and Wingulls circled through the air.

Clemont sighed as he rolled over next to her. "It's weird, you know?"

"What?"

"Things feel like they're normal again," he said quietly. "You know, with Bonnie back to her usual self."

Serena's eyes flickered down to her arm, healed yet imperfect forever. _Not quite normal._ "I've almost forgotten what it was like."

"Yeah..."

"Do you still have to go back to Lumiose, then?" Serena asked, turning to look at the inventor.

"I-" Clemont paused, thinking. "I really don't know. We're definitely coming with you guys to Shalour City, but after that..."

"Well, no matter what, we're coming to Lumiose eventually."

Clemont blinked. "Oh, right. I'm going to have to battle him eventually, aren't I?"

She cracked a small smile. "That'll be fun."

"Hmm, I don't have a strategy yet… I'll have to think about that."

Serena got up as Clemont lost himself in thought. She walked across the beach and leaned against a tree near where Ash was training.

 _Find a purpose for your strength…_

"Alright Froaky, now let's do it again faster!"

The blue Pokemon burst into action, his outline blurring as he leaped from spot to spot, making it down the beach in a matter of seconds. Pikachu, Fletchinder, and Hawlucha cheered Froaky on as Ash called for him to make the return trip. This time, Froaky traveled even faster until two flickering outlines of his form were visible. He triumphantly called out before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.

"Froaky, that was amazing!" Ash called as he walked over. "That was the first time you've managed to hold the double team!"

Froaky smiled tiredly as Serena walked over. "That was really good, Froaky!" she said.

Ash spun around, then relaxed as he saw her. "Oh, you scared me for a second."

"Are you ready to go face the Shalour City gym?" she asked, and Ash's Pokemon cheered wildly before he got a chance to respond.

"I guess so," he said, grinning sheepishly at Pikachu. "We've got to win this tag battle first, though."

Serena nodded, and raised her arm for a high five. "Yeah, there's no way we can lose! Erin and Paul are going down!" She held her arm there for a moment, then dropped it as she realized Ash was staring at her funny. "Or not..."

"Serena… Are you feeling okay?"

She frowned. "Um… yeah? Why?"

Pikachu ran up to her and started nuzzling her leg, and she gently stroked his tail as Ash responded. "Well, you were holding up your bad arm, and you're in a much better mood today… I dunno, you just seem more like you again. Did something happen?"

 **Flashback**

"You have a hard path to walk, Serena. Out of all of your friends, you alone will fight the hardest. I give you the gift of life, although you will only discover its power in time. When the moment comes, you will know what to do. But first, learn what you are fighting for. Only once you recognize the value and harmony of the life around will you know what to protect. There, your true strength will shine through. We will meet again in the All-Earth Valley. Reach out your arm who has paid its price."

Trembling, Serena reached out with her bad arm, and Xerneas gently reached down and brushed her snout against it. She gasped as a cold fire filled it, and watched in awe as the scar faded away into unblemished flesh. The fire did not disappear, but rather seemed to imbue her arm like a strange glove.

The legendary nodded. "I cannot restore your hand for you, but I have healed your arm to the best of life's abilities. It will pain you no longer, and for all purposes it will be as if you were born without a hand. Find a purpose for your strength, Serena. It will guide you through dark times. My gift has been given, use it well."

 **End Flashback**

Ash's eyes were wide as he took the story in. "Wow, so a legendary actually sought you out? It's so cool when that happens."

She laughed and swatted his arm. "Don't say that so casually, just because you've met just about every legendary out there doesn't make it an ordinary experience!"

"The All-Earth Valley, huh?" he said thoughtfully, looking up at the sky. "I wonder what the big deal is about that."

"Actually, I've heard of it," Clemont said as he walked over and sat down facing them. "It's in the middle of the massive Pokemon preserve between Lumiose, Ambrette, Cyllage, Geosenge, Shalour, and Coumarine. The preserve is called Sanctuary, and we've been in and out of it all the time since we left Lumiose."

Serena pulled out her pokeball and released Fennekin, who yipped happily and curled up in her lap. The sky was filled with Wingull and fluffy white clouds as she stared upwards. "But why would Xerneas want me to go there?"

"What? Xerneas?" Clemont exclaimed. "Did something happen?" Serena explained to him what she had told as, and he thoughtfully cleaned his glasses. "So your arm is healed?"

"Yeah."

"That's incredible, but we can't go to All-Earth Valley."

"What?" Ash said as he got to his feet. "But Xerneas told Serena she had to, we can't just ignore that!"

"He has a point," she said, and Fennekin nodded in agreement.

"You don't understand. There's a legend about that place." Clemont pushed his glasses up his nose, letting the sun glint off of them. "According to the legend, a horrible catastrophe happened there a thousand years ago. No human has been allowed to step on to the hallowed ground since. There's an entire division of the Kalos National Guard devoted to keeping people out of the valley. It's literally impossible, even for a gym leader."

"Oh."

They were silent for a moment, watching Bonnie play in the midday sun.

"The gift of life," Serena whispered as she stared down at her arm. "What does that mean? I know Xerneas said I wouldn't understand, but still..."

A bell rang inside of the camp hall, and Ash got to his feet and stretched. "Well, there's no sense in worrying over it right now! C'mon let's go eat and focus on this battle, then we can think about other things."

Serena nodded, Fennekin running along behind her happily as they went in to get food.

Ash is right! Right now, all that matters is camp and this battle. Just… maybe someday we'll get to see the All-Earth Valley.

 **Elle's Perspective – Summer Camp**

Mairin hummed contentedly as she played with Chespie, Tater, and Bebe on her bed. She bobbed her head back and forth, her Pokemon trying and failing to mimic her tune.

 _Oh, that was a cute picture…_

Elle sighed as she flicked past another picture of her and Shauna on her phone. They always looked so happy together, but now…

"I miss Alain."

She looked up to see that Mairin had buried her head in her arms. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The younger girl nodded with a sniff.

"So, um, what was he like?"

Chespie hugged Mairin as she pulled herself up and sat on the bed. "I met him the first week I was a trainer. He was super cool and strong, and he used Mega Evolution."

Elle's eyes widened. "You mean Charizard-"

"Used to Mega Evolve, but now, he might never fight again."

"Oh."

Mairin stood up and hugged Elle, who watched her for a moment before hugging her back. "He was my best friend, and now he's gone. I don't know if I'll ever see him again."

Elle held the redhead until she stopped crying. "It's okay, I'm sure you'll find him soon. I'll be here, I promise."

"I want to come with you!"

"Huh?"

Mairin nodded, making her mind up. "When we leave camp, I don't want to be alone again. Please, can you help me find Alain? Please please please?"

Elle smiled at Mairin. After she ran away from me on the first day of camp, I would have never thought we would be this close. "Of course! You can stay with me for as long as you want, Mairin."

She burst into tears again and hugged Elle even tighter. "Thank you, I just know we can find him!"

There was a knock at the door to their cabin, and Elle got up. "Are you okay for right now?"

Mairin nodded, and her Pokemon swarmed her happily. "Don't worry about me, I'm okay."

She nodded, then swung the door open.

"Elle, do you have time to talk right now?"

Elle stared at Shauna, who was clearly nervous. A mess of feelings swirled inside her; she pushed them down and ignored them. "Yeah, should we go somewhere else?"

Shauna nodded, and moved to leave. Elle checked back in with Mairin quickly before she followed her away from camp and into the forest.

When they got far enough away, she backed away from Shauna and crossed her arms. "What do you want? I thought you made it pretty clear the other day that you don't care about me, so-"

"I want to apologize!" Elle stared as Shauna bowed and squeezed her palms together. "This whole thing is so stupid, I just- I just want things to go back to the way they were before. I never expected you to say that-"

"That I liked you?"

The forest was silent except for the noises of the Pokemon hidden around them.

"Yeah."

Elle sighed as she sat down on the mossy ground. "Shauna, I- You can't just say that now! We were best friends, and you didn't even let me talk! You just said our friendship was over and ran! Then you insulted Skitty, even though you knew how upset I was that you guys all got real starters and I didn't! You didn't text me once in four months!"

Shauna nodded, tearing up slightly. "I know… I'm sorry."

"Why now? Why not when we were eating lunch?"

The brunette sighed, tugging on one of her ringlets. "I was scared of what you would say. If you still- do you?"

"I don't know."

"Oh."

They were silent once again.

"I'm going to start doing performances."

Shauna stared off into the forest. "Does that mean we'll be traveling in the same direction?"

"I guess so," Elle said, digging her feet into the first leaves of fall below them. "In- in the performances you've been to, how were they? Were they like we always thought they would be?"

"It wasn't the same," Shauna said in a strangled tone. "The first one, I was so nervous about it and still a mess because of our fight, I got the lowest score out of anyone. The second one was the day of TE, so we went on lockdown before the first round ended."

"I'm sorry."

Shauna shook her head, "No, I'm sorry. I broke our promise, we were supposed to do it together. We're going to become Kalos Queens, right?" she ended bitterly.

Elle sighed. "After camp is over, do we still have to hate each other? Are we just going to avoid each other until we get to the next performance?"

"I don't want to do this anymore."

"I never did in the first place."

Together, they lingered in the forest, watching the trees around them as the noon day passed. Elle was reluctant to ever leave; if she did, Shauna might leave her again, forever.

Will things ever be able to go back to the way they were?

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Alright, so do we have our battle plan down?" Erin asked.

Paul nodded. "Druddigon will take hits while Deerling darts in and out, while Clauncher distracts from the air. Simple, and we know they won't have anything against it."

Kirlia sighed, leaning against Erin as they sat on the bed. "I can't believe you're not going to use me for this battle."

"You do know Druddigon and Deerling need to get chances to battle to, right?"

Kirlia shrugged, kicking her legs back and forth. "Whatever. It's not like I care, or anything."

"Would all participants in the final tag battle please report to the battlefield?"

Alright, there's no way we can lose! I'm finally going to beat Ash for the first time! Erin grinned at Paul, and they left Team Dialga's cabin ready for battle.

 **[A/N] I'm sorry, everyone. Six months is a really long time to wait for an update, and I'm sure that I lost a lot of you along the way.**

 **The truth is, there was a while where I wasn't sure how I was ever going to pick this back up again. I built myself some massive holes that I'm still trying to figure out how to bridge, and it's going to be a pretty steep uphill climb to get back to where I was.**

 **Why I wanted to keep writing is simple: I have a story that I want to tell. Sure, it has some Ocs and some OOCs, and more than a handful of dropped or mangled plot lines, but it's still my story. I knew when I started this would be a massive undertaking, but if I give up, my story will never truly get told, and that's infinitely worse than any writing I could possibly come up with.**

 **Thank you for a platform for my work. Thank you to any new readers, and especially to any old ones who stuck around. Thank you to everyone who followed and favorited during the hiatus. I'm back, and I'm ready to keep going. I hope you're ready to continue our journey through Kalos along side me.**

 **Reviews:**

 **TeamPiperM – I would say a bit overprotective and angry, but yeah, this made me laugh.**

 **Amourshipping Guest – I'm back! I saw your review over on Landslide the other day, and I'm super happy that you're still around and active. I know a lot of us in the Amour community really appreciate your reviews, so thank you for everything you do for us.**

 **Nukacobra – Odd is great! Like Oddish! Thank you :)**

 **Cutiepie170 – These reviews made me smile, I'm glad you like it so much**

An aside – **QUALITY CONTROLLED AMOUR** has made it to the front page of Pokemon Communities! Follow us over there; there's no reason we shouldn't make it to number one!

 **Again, thank you everyone for reading and reviewing.** **Pokefan87, signing out.**


	41. Battling into the Hall of Fame!

Chapter 41 – Battling into the Hall of Fame!

* * *

Serena's Sister

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 2/4/18

* * *

 **Diantha's Perspective – Kalos League**

"Moonblast!"

Gardevoir cried out as she pushed power to her hands, sending a pearly ball of energy crashing through the line of rocks Aurorus had erected from the crags of victory. Unstable, the ball fractured on contact. A wall of mist and dust washed through the open air battlefield by Victory Road's exit, sending a curious pair of Tranquil spiraling away into the sky.

Diantha gave her Tyrantrum a wan smile as he threw up a protect around them. "Thank you," she murmured before a tired Gardevoir teleported to her side. She hugged her Pokemon, the bond between them thrumming with energy. "You did wonderful, Gardevoir. You should be proud."

 _"_ _Will we be ready?"_

"I'm afraid we won't get that choice." Fingering her mega necklace, she recalled her fossil Pokemon and turned to walk back toward the league building. "We will have to be, for Kalos' sake."

 _"_ _All is not right, Diantha. Malva is not pure. We knew that, but now that I've been looking more closely… Something is deeply wrong here. Something bigger than we understand."_

Glancing around, she couldn't see anything that might have its eyes on them, but she switched to mental communication nevertheless. _"We know the stakes – the TE showed us the price of our inaction."_

 _"It's too late to maneuver. Malva would never challenge us if she wasn't fairly certain she could win. She must have something up her sleeve, a trump card of some sort."_

High above them, the massive stained glass windows of the Kalos League shimmered in the morning light, coral floors of red and blue glowing as Diantha swept towards her quarters. Into the massive east wing, past ballrooms and kitchens left over from a time long past when Kalos was still a kingdom. Finally, she reached her quarters and rested her hand on the door, only to jolt in surprise as Gardevoir caught her hand with psychic.

 _"Wait."_

 _"What?"_

 _"There_ _'s a person and two Pokemon inside_ _."_

 _"_ _Hostile?"_

 _"Yes. It's Malva with two Pokemon. Should we_ _go in?"_

 _"What else can we do?"_

Steeling her resolve and reaching for Tyrantrum's pokeball, Diantha let the door swing open to reveal Malva lazily lounging in the plush armchair she kept in her common room for receiving personal guests. Her Houndoom rested at her feet, and her Chandelure hovered above her.

Diantha narrowed her eyes at her Elite Four member. "What is the meaning of this, Malva?"

"I think you already know." Malva pushed herself to her feet, Houndoom slinking around her legs with feral affection. "After all, dearest Lysandre payed you a visit, didn't he?"

"I agreed to your terms-"

"After we put a sword to your throat." Gardevoir threw up a barrier to stop Malva from coming closer, but Houndoom simply walked through. He swaggered towards Diantha, and the embrace Pokemon teleported in his path and glowed with fairy energy. "I gave you every warning that this is coming. We gave you the opportunity to step down peacefully, but it's too late for that now."

"Our battle is tomorrow," Diantha snapped, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach.

Malva smirked at her, shaking her hair out and stroking her Pokemon's horns as he slunk back to her side. "I don't think you understand. There's not going to be a public battle. Either we fight tonight and you graciously relinquish your seat before the match starts, or… well, you're not going to like the alternative."

"If I fight?"

"Then we let you go." Malva pressed her fingers lightly against the psychic barrier, a slight ripple traveling down the wall as she pushed. "You're a reasonable woman, Diantha. You know you can't beat me, forget Lysandre Labs' combined might. When you lose our private battle, we'll let you go, of course. If you don't cooperate, then well-"

"I'll do it." Diantha's stance shifted slightly as Gardevoir caught her arm.

 _"Are you sure? We have no guarantee that she'll let us go free."_

 _I know._ Clearing her throat, Diantha leveled a cool expression at Malva. "I am the champion of the Kalos League, and unlike you, I have the integrity to win my battles without foul play."

"You'll see. When we win, we _will_ protect Kalos from the rising threat," the Elite Four member snapped. "You have failed to protect our people one too many times."

"Get out of my chambers."

She kept her steel cold glare on Malva until she left the room, then collapsed into another chair and held her head in her hands. _"Today. I wasn't prepared to have this fight today."_

 _"You're the champion, Diantha._ _The strongest trainer in the Kalos region. You can take her."_

"Not strong enough to stop TE," she murmured, her keychain gleaming at her neck. "And perhaps not strong enough to stop this."

Line Break

 **Serena's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"Alright, let's huddle up!" Serena grinned as Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie clustered around her, their Pokemon close in at their heels. Pikachu jumped onto her shoulder and cheered, and she reached up and stroked his tail, eliciting a delighted sigh.

"We can't lose this battle. This is our opportunity to Erin and Paul how great Team Froaky is!" Clemont exclaimed, and Chespin crossed his arms and nodded.

"Froaky, this is out time to shine, okay?" Ash knelt down to meet Froaky's eyes, and his Pokemon nodded in determination.

"You guys can do it!" Bonnie cheered, Dedenne precariously balancing on her head. Serena's heart glowed at how energetic she was, and she picked Fennekin up and pulled her to her chest.

"Are you ready, Fennekin?" Her starter yipped happily, and Serena nodded as she put her hand into the middle of the circle. "Alright, Team Froaky on three! One, two, three!"

"TEAM FROAKY!"

The battlefield was drawn, sand glowing under the midday sun. A crowd of kids sat against the grassy breaker, cheering wildly as the two teams walked to either side of the field. "Good luck!" Elle yelled, and Serena waved at her friend. _She's sitting with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor – I'm glad they worked out whatever problem they were having._

"Hey Serena!" Erin called from across the field, waving her luxury ball in her hand. "Are you guys ready to lose?"

She shook her head, shouting back, "No way! There's no way we can lose!"

"Alright everyone!" Professor Sycamore walked to the edge of the battlefield with a Chatot megaphone raised to his lips. "Welcome to the final battle of this year's Pokemon Summer Camp! This will be a three on three tag battle with no substitutions, and the winner is the last team standing. Release your Pokemon!"

The crowd roared as Fennekin, Froaky, and Chespin appeared on Team Froaky's side, and Deerling, Druddigon, and Clauncher appeared on Team Dialga's side. Serena and Erin stared at each other awkwardly, and she could feel Ash and Clemont tensing on either side of her. Quietly, she said, "Guys, can we just try to have fun right now? We can talk to Erin later, okay? This is a terrible time to confront her."

Clemont deflated slightly. "You're right, but there's no way I'm going easy on her."

"Ash?"

"I guess I don't really have a right to be angry with her," he said, Pikachu resting a calming paw on his leg, "Considering how bad I've been, but…"

"So let's beat them." Serena smiled at him, her short hair blowing in the gentle ocean breeze.

Ash's eyes were conflicted, but he grinned back and pulled the edge of his gloves down. "Yeah. Let's win."

Serena nodded and turned back to the battlefield, taking a deep breath as Fennekin settled into a ready stance. _This is it. My first real battle against Erin._

Erin and Paul whispered across the battlefield. Her false sister seemed so different than when she had come, her long blonde hair swept over the shoulder of her gray and white hoodie. She stood comfortably, with an air of confidence Serena knew she herself didn't have, Kirlia at her side and her pokeballs at her belt.

Unconsciously, her hand went to the golder heart locket hanging around her neck, the two pictures inside linking them together.

 _She looks like she belongs, like she feels like she belongs._

 _When did that happen?_

"Is everyone ready?" Professor Sycamore called.

"Yeah!"

"Then let the battle begin!"

The battlefield exploded into a mess of shouts and attacks as all five trainers gave orders at the same time. Fennekin and Froaky jumped out of the way as Druddigon charged forward, a flamethrower and water pulse doing little against the dragon's tough skin. An energy ball hit Fennekin's side, sending her flying into Clauncher. The lobster fell toward the ground disoriented, only to be caught by a vine whip and thrown to the ground.

"Chespin, dodge!" As Chespin ducked under a dragon tail, Clemont looked at his temamates in bewilderment. "Why aren't they calling commands?"

Serena's eyes widened as she yelled for Fennekin to use flamethrower again. "It's Kirlia, she's calling commands telepathically!"

"Go for Clauncher!" Ash yelled, "They're at a disadvantage since there are only two of them – let's get Erin on her own."

Serena didn't have a chance to respond before Druddigon was on top of her starter. The Cave Pokemon tried to bite down, but Fennekin managed to jump onto its head and get behind it. "Now, hidden power!"

"Don't let it! Dragon tail!" Erin called, her voice carrying a slightly frantic edge as she commanded for the first time in the battle.

Fennekin jumped over the glowing green tail as Druddigon whipped it around, sending green balls of energy into his back. Serena couldn't get her out of the way in time to dodge the tail again, though, and Fennekin flew to Serena's feet and staggered to her feet. "Are you okay?" Serena asked as she fell to her knee, and her Pokemon yipped in acknowledgment and launched another hidden power at Druddigon.

On the other side of the battlefield, Froaky and Chespin were busy fighting Deerling and Clauncher. Deerling charged in circles after them, coming dangerously close to hitting Froaky with a wild charge as Ash and Clemont's Pokemon played target practice with the Water Gun Pokemon. Froaky was doing better than Chespin, successfully hitting Clauncher with a water pulse and using double team to avoid the hyrdro pumps as they shot towards the ground.

"We have to do something to get it out of the sky!" Clemont exclaimed. "If it keeps using hydro pump like this, Fennekin will go down and then we'll have a three on one!"

"I could use help over here, guys!" Serena yelled as Fennekin dodged under another dragon claw. "I don't know how long we can last."

"I have an idea!" Ash exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"Have Chespin throw Froaky into the sky with vine whip!"

"Alright! Chespin, use vine whip!"

Chespin dove out of Deerling's path and reached out with his vines, plucking Froaky out of the path of a hydro pump and launching him into the air. Clauncher changed course as he saw the Bubble Frog Pokemon, coming at him with a crabhammer. Froaky's eyes widened, too late to get out of the way, as the hammer slammed into his body-

-which disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"What?" Paul yelled.

"Now hit it with everything you've got!" Ash yelled as Froaky's substitute vanished and his Kalos starter reappeared above Clauncher. Drawing his arm back, a long white blade formed. Bringing it down on the shocked Pokemon, they plummeted to the ground and hit the sand.

"Clauncher is unable to battle!"

Paul blinked in stunned shock as Ash and Serena cheered. Recalling his Pokemon, he nodded to Clemont and muttered, "Thank you Clauncher."

Ash grinned at Froaky as he rose to his feet and cried out triumphantly. "Awesome, Froaky! I think that was cut, not pound!"

"Ash!" Clemont pumped his fist as Deerling stopped moving for a moment and looked to Erin for direction. "Chespin and I can take Deerling, go help Serena!"

"Got it! Let's go, Froaky!"

Deerling stomped her front hoof as Clemont settled into a ready stance. "Alright, let's do this!" Before he could call an attack, the Season Pokemon reared back and kicked up a big sand attack. Clemont covered his face with his sleeve, narrowing his eyes as Chespin narrowly dodged a leaf attack. "Careful, we can win this fight."

Serena had realized about a minute ago that Fennekin was nowhere near as strong as Erin's starter – Druddigon had a much deeper movepool, and had been doing intensive combat training for two months longer than her. Fennekin was slowly getting backed into a corner, ducking under dragon rage and dodging dragon claws. The Cave Pokemon reared back, its head glowing white as it charged Fennekin. Just as he was about to collide, Froaky tackled Fennekin out of the way.

Serena gave Ash a relieved smile. "Thanks."

Ash nodded, a familiar determination filling his gaze. "Let's win this thing."

"Chespin, be careful!" Clemont called. "Use vine whip and blow the sand away!"

Chespin spun around with his vine whips, clearing the sand away. Slightly dizzy, he was unable to avoid Deerling as she launched a wild charge into his chest. Chespin flew backwards, staggering to his feet to see Deerling heading straight for him again.

"Pin missile!" Clemont called. The two Pokemon collided, kicking up a cloud of dust. When it faded away, both Pokemon were on the ground with swirls in their eyes.

"Chespin and Deerling are both unable to battle!"

Froaky, Fennekin, and Druddigon broke apart from each other as Erin recalled her Pokemon, frowning as the crowd went wild. "You did amazing, Deerling."

"You too, Chespin." Clemont recalled his Pokemon and joined Bonnie at the side of the battlefield. "It's all up to you guys, now."

Erin narrowed her eyes at the battlefield, not taking the time to answer Ash as he shouted across the field. "Druddigon, let's do this! Dragon tail!"

Serena turned to Ash as Froaky and Fennekin danced around the dragon. "What's the plan?"

"It's got a really tough defense, so we've just got to wear it down. Fire types are ineffective against dragon types, so just use hidden power!" Ash exclaimed as Druddigon bit down on a double team. "Froaky, use cut!"

For what felt like forever, Froaky and Fennekin ducked and weaved around Erin's starter, pummeling him with ineffective moves that began to accumulate. Druddigon grew angrier and angrier, taking more and more aggressive swipes at their Pokemon. Finally, he landed a vicious dragon claw on Froaky, sending the water type into the sand.

Ash's Pokemon didn't get back up again.

"Froaky is unable to battle! That means this battle is down to just Erin and Serena!"

Ash recalled Froaky with a sigh, staring at the pokeball in his hand. When he didn't say anything for a moment, Serena rested her hand on his arm. "Ash, you and Froaky did great. You looked so much better than you did at the start of camp – I mean, you took Clauncher down!"

"But I told Froaky that we would win," Ash murmured.

Serena hugged him, then pushed him towards Clemont. "This battle isn't over yet, is it?"

"Go Serena!" Bonnie cheered from the sidelines as she turned back to the battle, Dedenne jumping up and down in excitement on her head.

"So, it's just down to you and me, huh?" Erin called. There was a question in her blue eyes, and Serena nodded slightly.

"Good luck, sis!" Her grasp on the locket tightened, and her opponent smiled.

"Yeah!"

Moments later, Druddigon was on top of Fennekin once again, and they were back on the defensive. She responded with hidden power over and over again, but she could tell Fennekin was beginning to tire from the fight. It was time to try something drastic. "Fennekin, use scratch! Go for his stomach!"

Erin grinned as Druddigon opened his arms wide to let Fennekin attack, and Serena realized that she had wanted her to get in close. "Now, pick her up with dragon claw and throw her!"

Fennekin cried out as Druddigon ripped her off his stomach and launched her to the ground with glowing claws. "Are you okay?!" Serena yelled in horror as Druddigon slumped slightly.

"Call her off. Fennekin's just going to get hurt if we keep going!" Paul called.

Serena gritted her teeth as her starter struggled to her feet. _No! We've spend too much time hiding behind other people and losing our battles. If we were just stronger, we could have stopped Salamance in time and all of this would be different!_ "Please, Fennekin, don't give up!"

"You can do it, Serena!" She spun around to see Ash cheering for her. "Don't give up until it's over! We believe in you!"

"What's Fennekin doing?" Clemont asked, staring at the Pokemon as her mouth began to glow.

"Fenne-kin!" the Fox Pokemon yipped as a beam of psychic energy burst towards Druddigon. Serena gaped as it slammed into Erin's Pokemon, knocking him to the ground.

The campers roared as Druddigon struggled back to his feet, limbs shaking as Erin yelled, "What?! Did Fennekin just learn psybeam?"

"Fennekin?" Her starter turned back to her, a fire burning in her eyes that she didn't recognize. "You- You're right! We chose to get stronger, that was amazing! Use psybeam!"

"Dragon rage!"

"Do it!"

The two beam attacks collided in the center of the battlefield, sending sand flying into the sky. Druddigon looked around wildly as it fell back to earth – Fennekin was nowhere to be found. Erin's eyes widened as she realized where Serena's Pokemon was. "Druddigon, watch out!"

"Use hidden power, now!"

Fennekin jumped into the air behind Druddigon's back and launched energy into his back. The Cave Pokemon took two stumbling steps forwards then slumped to the ground in a dead faint.

"Druddigon is unable to battle! That means the winner is Serena, Fennekin, and Team Froaky! Congratulations, you are this year's hall of famers!" Professor Sycamore exclaimed triumphantly as Serena stood and stared at the battlefield in shock.

 _We… won?_

Then Ash was there, hugging her as Clemont and Bonnie crowded around, cheering and celebrating as the camp went wild. Elle ran over to hug her as well, Mairin following close behind her. "You did it, I told you you would," Ash said to her with a grin as she broke free of the group and walked across the field.

Erin was staring at her pokeball, Paul talking at her side. When she walked over, her sister looked up at her with a wry smile. "You've gotten a lot better. Congratulations."

"You guys did really good too," Serena said, ignoring Erin's hand and pulling her into a hug. The other girl stiffened, but returned her hug. They broke apart, and she made no move to leave.

Erin sighed and looked out at the ocean. "You have something else you want to say."

"Ash and Clemont are really really angry with you, Erin. We- I think all of us need to talk about this, together. I think you need to tell us what's been going on." She kept her voice level and as firm as she could, but a slight waver still crept in.

"And you aren't?" She shook her head, and Erin sighed and rubbed the back of her hand. "Why?"

Serena hesitated for a moment, then said, "I saw Xerneas yesterday."

"Oh, you saw her too?" she asked, and Serena stared at her. "Right, that's beyond the point. I… Clemont told me. I had no idea, Serena, I'm so sorry."

Erin blinked her tears away, Kirlia tugging lightly on her sleeve. Serena sighed. "So am I, but I didn't do it. I'm never going to do that, I promise. Come on, let's go to the closing ceremony."

The other girl took her hand as she offered it. "During the battle, you were holding onto the locket. Do you always wear it?"

"All the time."

Hand in hand, the pair turned away from the sea and slowly started to make their way to the mess hall.

 **Erin's Perspective – Summer Camp**

"And with that, we conclude this year's Pokemon Summer Camp! Congratulations to Team Froaky on your victory, and we hope to see all of you back next year!"

Applause rang through the lunch hall as Professor Sycamore turned the screen off and stepped away from the stage. Erin and Paul got to their feet and joined the flow of people leaving the hall, deep in thought. _I can't believe I still can't beat Ash, even if we did take down Froaky… I guess it's for the best that they won, that is what was supposed to happen, even if it was under completely different circumstances._

Serena was standing apart from the rest of the crowd, and waved to Erin when she saw her. Sighing, she walked towards them, already thinking through what she was going to say.

"Are you really going to tell them?" Paul asked, his hands buried in his jacket pockets.

"Not all of it," she muttered back. "But I'm not going to lie to them anymore."

 _"_ _We don't have a choice. If we lose Serena and Ash and Clemont, then-"_ Kirlia had been uncharacteristically quiet since Erin had talked to Serena on the beach, and she scooped her Pokemon up in her arms and hugged her.

 _"_ _We'll be fine, Kirlia. This will all work out for the better."  
_

Serena smiled as they walked up to her, Fennekin energetically bouncing at her heels. "C'mon, Ash and Clemont are waiting back at the room."

Team Froaky's cabin was cozy, filled to the brim with Clemont's inventions and clothes strewn across the floor. "Erin!" Bonnie exclaimed as she stepped across the doorway, throwing her arms around her legs.

"Bonnie? You're feeling better?" Erin asked in disbelief, and Clemont's little sister nodded.

"Yup! Me and Dedenne are good as new!" she exclaimed, giggling as she broke away and flopped back on her own bed.

"That's awesome!"

Clemont glared at her, and the trepidation returned to Erin's stomach as she remembered that everything wasn't actually okay. "I cleared my workbench off for you, you and Paul can sit there."

Erin sat down where he pointed, setting Kirlia down beside her as she sighed. "So."

Serena looked from Ash to Clemont then fixed her gaze on Erin. "Erin… I'm tired. Tired of all the secrets. You've been hiding from me, from all of us, since the first day I met you in Vainville Town. You keep making me promises and never upholding them, and I'm sick of it. So who are you really, Erin?"

"I can see the future."

Clemont and Serena gawked at Erin. Blushing, she looked away and crossed her hands in her lap.

"Cool!" Ash's eyes shone as he leaned forwards in his chair. "So is that a talent like a psychic, or did you actually see the future like Celebi showed Professor Oak-"

"What?"

"-or was it like when Arceus sent me and Brock and Dawn back in time-"

"WHAT?!"

"-or was it something else?"

Erin blinked, then shook her head as Serena and Clemont both grasped at straws. "Y'know, I don't even know why I expected you to be surprised, Ash."

"Y- you saw ARCEUS?" Serena yelled as Clemont shook his head in amazement.

"Yeah, it was no big de-"

Serena grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards her. "Ashton Satoshi Ketchum, don't you _dare_ tell me you saw the creator of the universe and it was 'no big deal!' I don't care how many legendaries you've met, that's a _really big deal_!"

"Okay, okay, you're right! That was probably one of the harder times we saved the world-"

" _One of the harder?_ Are you _kidding me?_ "

Bonnie giggled as she poked Serena's leg. "Serena, your voice gets all high and squeaky when you overreact!"

" _I am not overreacting! This is a perfectly normal response to being told your BEST FRIEND MET ARCEUS!"_ When Bonnie collapsed into a fit of giggles on the floor, Serena frowned and said, "Although I guess I could tone it down a little bit."

"So, what do you mean, you can see the future. Do you know how many fingers I'm holding behind my back?" Clemont asked, and Erin shook her head.

"No, it's more like I know one version of the future."

She could practically see the gears spinning in Clemont's head as he thought. "I see. If I could make a guess, the day you woke up in Serena's house, you already had seen this future?" Erin nodded. "Have you seen anything since?"

"No." Erin took a deep sigh – they had reacted better than she had been expecting them too. _Well, it's out there now, or part of it at least._

"So why didn't you just tell me?" Serena had calmed down slightly, and now she was sitting at the edge of her seat with a clipped edge to her voice. "If I had just known… Erin, I could have helped you! We could have avoided all of this, the drama, the- We could have figured things out together..."

"I was scared. I didn't want to change things." The words barely came out as a whisper. "That really worked out great, didn't it?"

"You said one version of the future. Is this version different?" Ash asked, leaning back against the wall.

"Very." Erin's face darkened, and she looked down at her hand. The skin seemed flawless, innocent… _I can't tell them about the Institute. I can't put them in even more danger than they're already in._ Paul and Kirlia both touched her in reassurance, but that didn't make Serena's biting question any less painful.

"How?"

She sighed and met Serena's eyes. _It's been so long since I've really thought about the show._ "Well, for starters, I didn't exist in that version."

"Oh."

"Erin." Ash's face was serious. "I get how these things work. What, exactly, have you changed?"

"The TE Disaster never happened in my vision. The tournament didn't even exist there," she said, not missing it as Serena's hand flew to her bad arm. "There are a million other little things. I thought if I didn't tell you guys anything, maybe things would stay the same, but I was wrong. I'm- I'm sorry. So much has changed, I don't even really know how useful it is anymore."

"So at the Santalune Gym, that's why you seemed so certain about Ash's victory but surprised when Fletchinder evolved?" Serena asked.

"Wait, you mean Fletchinder didn't evolve then in you vision? I just figured he had been a Fletchling for a long time so he was more mature." Ash picked the pokeball off his belt, contemplating it in his hand.

"Yeah, in the vision he didn't evolve until after you beat Korrina."

"Wait, I beat Korrina?" Ash asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"Ash, this is the sixth real league you've competed in. How is beating a gym battle a surprise?"

He looked ready to respond, but Bonnie yawned and leaned against Clemont. "Big brother, I'm sleepy..."

Clemont nodded, then looked up at Erin with a troubled look on his face. "We should go to sleep, now. We'll have plenty of time in the morning to ask you more about all of this."

She hesitated, then got to her feet. "Right. I guess we'll go to sleep too. I- I'm sorry, about everything."

Ash shook his head. "It's not your fault, but you should have told us sooner."

"I know." She sighed, letting Paul and Kirlia walk out before her. "Good night."

"Erin, wait." Serena got up from her seat and wrapped her up into a tight hug, helping to quell the turmoil in her head. "I forgive you," she whispered into her ear, too low for Ash to hear. "I don't care if you weren't here in your vision. We care about you, and we just want you to tell us – me – how you're feeling. Good night."

Ignoring the lump in her throat, Erin broke away from Serena and slipped out of the cabin. Kirlia and Paul had gone ahead, so she quietly walked along the seaside paths, lost in thought.

It wasn't until she reached her cabin that she broke down into Paul's arms.

 _It doesn't matter. None of it matters._

 _She forgave me._

* * *

 **[A/N] All I can say about this chapter is thank fucking god it's over – this damn triple battle has been giving me Writer's Block for eleven months and now it's done.**

 **For the second chapter in a row, I have to apologize for my radio silence. It's not that I haven't been writing. Since the last chapter, my RWBY fic re:Bound has taken off and now is almost as long as this fic. I should have just buckled down and written this chapter in October, and I'm sorry.**

 **Happy news – this is the two year anniversary of Serena's Sister (I wouldn't miss it, no matter how bad my block is) Thanks to everyone who's supported my in my second year of writing fanfic, and I look forwards to the third!**

 **Also, since I've been gone, I've started a new tumblr for writing advice and my fanart (link on my profile) and changed my username.**

 **Now, to the reviews -**

 _ **DrafteeDragon – I'm glad you were still around in October, and I hope you still are in February :) Your feedback has always meant a lot to me**_

 _ **PhenioxMaster – Just Kalos, god. Can you imagine how long this would be if it was all regions?**_

 _ **Amourshipping Guest – You rock! Thank you for reviewing!**_

* * *

 **CALLING ALL AMOURSHIPPING FANS**

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* * *

 **As always, thank you for all of your amazing support! Please review, it means a lot to me.**

 **Signing out, Allie**


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